Agriculture

This initiative, part of the broader EU-STREIT PNG Programme, is designed to uplift local cocoa farmers by providing them with unprecedented access to lucrative international markets.

Pioneering this endeavor is a cohort of nine cocoa MSMEs in Sepik. These enterprises, known for their high-quality cocoa, have undergone extensive training and development, and are supported with production and processing materials by the FAO. Their products, celebrated for their unique flavour profiles, are now ready to make a mark on the global stage.

This was announced recently by Member for Bogia Robert Naguri when delivery trucks and machinery to help with the start of operations.

According to Neguri, funding of K1m is being allocated to start the nursery of cocoa and coconut and pay for fuel for the machinery and hire of labour. The next K1m is set aside for operational expenses that will be released in February.

A final K2m payment will be released by the Government after the full acquittal of the first K3m is provided with the report on the plantation’s resumption.

East New Britain provincial administrator, Levi Mano made these remarks during the opening of the Division of Agriculture and Livestock industry annual conference at the Malapau Beach resort on Monday.

Mr Mano stated that agricultural programs must be effectively supported for people to progress the agriculture sector's objectives.

“We must change the way we conduct ourselves as an administration. To reduce the burden of executing our plans, we must collaborate and include private service providers,” he said.

The partnership aligns with the country’s efforts to address climate change through eco-friendly agricultural practices.

The PNG-Wilmar partnership signals a paradigm shift towards sustainable agricultural practices. Wilmar's integrated agribusiness model aligns with PNG's green initiatives, focusing on responsible sourcing and production.

Investments will span the rice industry, chicken production, a new eco-friendly feed mill, and a sustainable flour mill in Port Moresby. Downstream processing of palm oil in PNG will adhere to stringent environmental standards.

Secretary for Agriculture, Dr Sergie Beng, who was one of the pioneer scientists who did expounded research on the galip-nut during his time at the National Agriculture Research Institute (NARI) many years ago said he was honored to be part of the process of the domestication and the commercialization of the galip-nut.

“One of the big key tasks I have in front of me is to expand agricultural commercialization across our country in all the different subsectors.

FPDA echoed the show's theme “Be Productive” by urging every citizen in the country to be productive by contributing in producing food through growing fruits and vegetables.

FPDA's participation in the 60th Diamond Jubilee of the annual Morobe Agricultural Show reinforced in people the urgency to take farming as a business to trigger an improved and sustainable livelihood.

At the show, FPDA participated in providing advisory on the various food crops and programs that it promotes for people to grow through commercial engagements.

In line with the national government’s directive for the agriculture industry, the provincial government is committed to reach the target set for the province, through an agreement signed with the PNG Cocoa Board this year.

The Gulf Provincial Government had initially signed an agreement in 2018 but it was never progressed until it expired.

It is also known that the PNG export businesses have been dominated by foreign-owned multinational businesses, says a National Research Institute Discussion Paper No. 207 on “Barriers to internationalization of indigenous-owned micro, small and medium-size enterprises in PNG.

The National Research Institute today released the Discussion Paper written by Joseph Muniu, Francis Odhuno and Dianah Ngui that provides some insight into why the country's MSMEs are not engaging in export business as expected.

While the Sydney conferences focus on minerals and energy resources, the inaugural Hong Kong conference now takes into account forestry, agriculture, tourism and fisheries.

This was evident in today’s session 4 at the Kowloon Shangri-La Hotel, where the regional chief executive officer of Sime Darby Plantation’s Upstream Operation, Malaysia, Nik Mazia Nik Mustapha, said “there is something unique and interesting that PNG has to offer”.

“You are able to garner the confidence of investors coming from all these different industries and sectors,” she said.

The eleven-day visit was arranged and supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) as part of the European Union-funded STREIT PNG Programme aimed at promoting the development of vanilla value chain in Papua New Guinea.