Rescue plan for poultry industry

The Agriculture and Livestock Minister and Maprik MP, John Simon, is working on a 'rescue plan' for businesses in the agriculture and livestock sector who have been hit hard by COVID-19.

This rescue plan will be tabled before the Government and eventually identify solutions as to how to address this issue.

This decision comes after a recent visit to PNG’s second largest city revealed that major businesses in the sector have been seriously affected by this pandemic.

The Minister, accompanied by Vice Minister and Daulo MP, Pogio Ghate, and a team from his office and NAQIA officers in Lae, over the weekend visited some of the business houses and discovered first hand the economic strain caused by COVID-19.

The country’s major suppliers, Zenag Chickens and Mainland Holdings, have altogether about 3,000 tons of frozen chicken stored up in containers, having no place to be shipped to.

Zenag Chicken normally ships out more than 200,000 frozen chicken meat every week, however they are unable to maintain that level of shipment.

Zenag Chicken Managing Director, Philip Leahy, said this pandemic has seriously affected business, adding Zenag has lost about 50 percent of its sales and this has caused a great decline in revenue.

He added that after having dialogue with the Minister and delegates, he is pleased that the Minister was on ground for a firsthand visit.

He commended further the strategy the Minister is taking to identify solutions.

(Minister John Simon with ZENAG Chicken CEO, Philip Leahy, manager Eugene Leahy and officers in front of the company's administration office)

Author: 
Press release