Mt Hagen, 12 May 2025 – In the cool highlands of Papua New Guinea, where fertile valleys stretch across Tambul and Tomba, a quiet agricultural revolution is taking place. At the centre of it all is Tininga Hilans Fres—the country’s leading private sector player in the fresh produce industry.
During a recent tour of the company’s modern facility in Mt Hagen, Jopath Korowa, Head of the Extension Team, provided an in-depth look at how Hilans Fres is building a supply chain that benefits both farmers and consumers.
“We work with more than 2,000 farmers,” Korowa said. “From farm gate to supermarket shelf, we focus on quality, reliability, and empowering growers.”
Inside the weighing bay, newly harvested potatoes from the highlands are received, weighed, and logged. Produce is then subjected to a quality check, where damaged or substandard items are removed and returned to farmers. Market-ready goods are moved forward for repacking and cold storage.
“We use our own branded Hilans Fres packaging—nets, bags, and labels—to maintain consistency,” said Korowa. “This branding gives our customers confidence in what they’re buying.”
Carrots, tomatoes, onions, and other produce are carefully sorted. Unripe tomatoes are kept outside the chiller until they reach maturity, while ripe ones are stored and sent directly to retailers. Each morning, a fresh consignment is packed and distributed to shops across Mt Hagen and other urban centres.
“We manage our chillers based on temperature-sensitive crops. Leafy vegetables like Chinese cabbage, broccoli, and lettuce go into our 4°C chamber. Hardier crops are stored at 9°C,” she explained.
Jopath Korowa with a bag of Hilans Fres potatoes destined for supermarket shelves.
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The facility handles a wide variety of produce: zucchini, strawberries, pineapples, cooking bananas, sugar cane, and more—demonstrating the enormous potential of PNG’s climate and soils.
A standout innovation at Hilans Fres is its onion curing plant, which uses humidity control to dry and preserve onions properly, ensuring they last longer and retain quality on supermarket shelves.
Unlike many other fresh produce companies, Hilans Fres runs its own independent extension team, comprising five women who travel weekly to farming communities.
“We provide direct support—training, garden mapping, post-harvest practices, and quality control. It’s not just about buying produce; it’s about helping farmers grow better crops,” Korowa said.
As Papua New Guinea marks 50 years of independence, Hilans Fres exemplifies how local businesses can transform agriculture by investing in infrastructure, empowering rural producers, and ensuring food security.
It’s a story not just of commercial success, but of national progress—where every carrot, onion, and tomato tells a tale of partnership, pride, and possibility. 🥕🇵🇬🍍
