Member for Kerowagi, Camillus Dangma, has asked the Government on the status of a K30 million funding from the Innovation Fund for Agricultural Transformation (IFAT) earmarked for the Livestock sector.
The Member asked as well the position of the LDC and what the entity was doing.
He said the LDC was an important organisation and was the main driver behind the livestock industry which was a major activity for the country.
“Disla livestock development koporesen em stap we? Na em gat wanem kyn position blo em stap. Inap u tok na disla kantri I harim ah? Bikos livestock em bikpla indastri lo displa kantri na mi wokim abattoir natin na sting lo Kerowaghi stap,” Dangma said.
(“Where is the Livestock Development Corporation. And what is its current position. Can you inform this country? Because Livestock is a major industry in this country and I’ve established an abattoir in Kerowagi which is lying idle.”)
Minister for Agriculture and Livestock, Tommy Tomscoll, said the LDC rarely received funding support from provinces as well as funding in the Government Budget.
Tomscoll said they did not have many assets LDC operated the only abattoir outside of Port Moresby at 14-Mile, and that facility alone cost more than the monthly earning of K70,000 to operate.
He said this was not enough to maintain then operations of the slaughterhouse.
“This small holders; pig farmers, cattle farmers, that use the abattoir pay a fee for operating, unfortunately they do not pay economic fees they pay social fees so the fees collected is lower than what would be economically viable if it was operated by a non-state agency they would have charged an economic fee,” Tomscoll said.
Regarding the funding from IFAT and given the situation it was decided by the organisation, the Planning and Monitoring Department, and Treasury, decided to put the money to the Fresh Produce Development Authority.
“That money is money from EFAD, and EFAD has the final and full authority to decide who it wants to work with, and what it wants to fund. In this case it has finally decided it will fund and make available funding to the fresh produce development agency who will work with all our vegetable farmers to produce vegetables and to bring it to the market and that is the situation with it Mr Speaker,” said the Minister.