Investing in the fresh produce business is a risky endeavor where most businesses experience high post harvest losses due to a mountain of issues including tackling delivery time to minimizing post-harvest losses.

However, many of the Partners of the MVF Project have tackled this issues head on, proving that, where there is a will, there is a way. MVF project offers a way out for these struggling business men and women.

James Paragua, the owner of JJP Investments based in Western Highlands Province, Mt Hagen is a determined business man that

decided to utilize the projects Lead Partner Seed Capital Investment Grant to he's greatest advantage.

Most of his deliveries to Moro Gas Plant experienced 40-50% post-harvest loss. He saw that these losses were encountered

during storage at his depot and during handling and transportation done by cargo trucks which he would normally hire for 1 to 2 days.

After joining the project in 2021 he was introduced to the cost sharing Lead Partner Seed Capital investment Grant.

Mr Paragua, knew that this was his opportunity to acquire his most urgent needs, a cargo tuck and a chiller container to address delivery time and post-harvest losses. Though the project would only help with 40%, he knew this was an opportunity not to be missed. 

He had some money saved up in his business account, all he needed was another 10% before he could finally purchase his first cargo truck. 

Mr Paragua enquired at the local bank and was granted a loan for the 10% to bring his total contributions to the 60% requirement. MVF paid the 40% cost on the cargo truck and in 2022, JJP investment received their first NPR Isuzu 3 tonne cargo truck. This would assist them in addressing the delivery time from Mt. Hagen to Moro Gas Plant, but it would not address the quality issue that still lingered. 

Mr Paragua witnessed the effectiveness of the partnership. He was now determined more than ever to fully utilize the partnership benefits. Mr Paragua saved enough to put up another 60%. This time for the purchase of a two chiller containers. 

With the combined effort of the chiller containers and the cargo truck JJP Investments was able to bring down its post-harvest losses by 35%. Mr Paragua, was able to save more money compared to hes previous sales and improve on hes delivery time.