Traditional tobacco farming has transformed the life of young Western Highlands farmer Ismael John, whose six years of hard work in the village has helped his family earn enough income to buy a PMV bus and a car.
The 22-year-old from Togoba in Western Highlands Province has spent years growing and supplying traditional tobacco, commonly known as “brus”, to his mother in Port Moresby, where it is sold to customers across the city.
Despite living in the village with only his younger brother, Jeremey, while the rest of the family resides in Port Moresby, Ismael remained committed to supporting his family through farming and the tobacco trade.
Ismael is the second-born in a family of four children — three boys and one girl.
Speaking to the PNG SUN Reporter, he said he dedicated himself to tobacco farming every day for the past six years.
“I was a committed and hardworking boy in the village, farming traditional tobacco every day. During those six years, I worked in my tobacco garden daily,” he said.
He explained that after harvesting mature tobacco leaves, he dried them under the sun and in the cookhouse before preparing them for transport.
“I packed the dried tobacco into three 50kg bags and transported them to Lae. From Lae, they were shipped to Port Moresby,” he said.
Ismael said transport connections between Mt Hagen, Lae, and Port Moresby made it easier for his family business to operate successfully.
“There is a good transport link, which makes it possible for us to transfer the tobacco bags from Mt Hagen to Lae and then to Port Moresby,” he said.
He added that whenever his own tobacco crop was not ready for harvest, his mother would send money for him to buy tobacco from the Mt Hagen market to maintain supply for customers in Port Moresby.
“In Port Moresby, my mother has built a strong customer base over the years, and the tobacco usually sells out within a week,” he said.
According to Ismael, the income earned from tobacco sales greatly supported his father and the family’s daily needs.
“A single 50kg bag of traditional tobacco can generate between K3,000 and K4,000,” he said.
Through years of hard work and determination, the family was able to purchase a PMV bus and a car.
“Our family has been blessed through the hard work we put into the tobacco business,” he said.
Ismael travelled to Port Moresby on Sunday on the same flight as the PNG SUN Reporter and said he plans to continue working hard to support his family.
“My journey to Port Moresby means a lot to me. I will continue working hard to support my father, whether it is driving, working as a bus crew, washing buses and cars, or doing any other work available,” he said.
He said the family’s traditional tobacco business would continue operating as long as family members remained committed to supporting one another.