AS Papua New Guineans, we know that more than half of our country’s population depend on subsistence agriculture for sustainability and livelihood.

The efforts of the subsistence farmer not only becomes a provision for his or her family, but also caters the immediate demand of consumers which is constantly present at the market, otherwise affectionately called by many as the “Big Garden”.

It is no surprise that Papua New Guineans excel in the area of agriculture and on the plus side, the fertility of our lands are a pure bonus.

After all, PNG does not just provide ideal tourist site attractions or attracts a wide audience with our outstanding traditional cultural diversity portrayed proudly at our cultural shows.

PNG is known as the first country to show evidence of early agricultural activities which put PNG on the map apart from all the other magnetic attractions.

The Kuk agricultural site which was found in the Western Highlands of PNG during the late 70’s andearly 1980’s anthropological excavation clearly showed the first signs of agricultural activity, and that behaviour has surely been a major strong hold of many Papua New Guineans, and hasproved to be resilient throughout the decades.

No matter how many times you hear the phrase, “unlike many parts of the world, PNG has been abundantly blessed”, the fact will still be resonated throughout the years.

Apart from the quality and freshness of our fresh produce, credit should fall in due respect of the hard-working and dedicated farmers who provide in abundance the large quantities we are able to find at markets throughout the country.

Even-though they are in the informal sector of the country, markets play a crucial role in every ones’ daily lives and are one of the key players contributing to our society’s well-being.

Yet the “big gardens” remain overlooked andit is about time their importance should be recognized most importantly in terms of providing safe and accessible structures for both providers and users of the market.

True enough, there are other areas in need of development and they may only delay such a dream but ask any mother or father who endures the sweltering rain or the scorching sun with no proper cover over their heads except their aged market umbrellafacing it all.

Not all markets around the country face this problem but such sights are common in the main markets of many provinces and roadside or “haus lain” markets,where the vendors persistently sell their goods to meet a fellow country man’s need and also to meet theirs and their families.

Markets throughout PNG are now also becoming a one-stop venue where even manufactured items and cooked food are also available.

To meet the needs of any country, it is of importance to identify significant needs and distinguish them from wants to avoid unnecessary spending.

This small plea may create a rippling effect or maybe just a spark of insight, but it is just an individual’s cry.

When put together with other collective thoughts, it can become bigger than what we imagined andhopefully create an impact you and I can only dream of to witness change right before our eyes.

Amanda Kundil