Innovative Agro Industry

Everyday People: Grace Loau

I joined the company Innovative Agro Industry in 2014 as a logistics officer in the admin office. It was just at the start of the company when it was operating under a house.    

In 2018 when Ilimo Farm was coming, there were many things to do and though I was an admin officer, we were doing sales and marketing also. I saw myself as the Jack-of-all-trades at that time. So in 2019 I joined the marketing department as a fulltime sales person, and I was doing the sales for Ilimo Dairy Farm.

Investor committed to Sepik Plains projects

Chief executive officer of the Innovative Agro Industry, Lior Crystal, was part of a delegation that flew over to the Sepik Plains on Monday, Sept 18, 2017.

Other parties on the aerial inspection were the Australian High Commissioner to PNG, His Excellency Bruce Davis, and the CEO of the PNG Cocoa Board, Kautu Boutua.

The delegation was led by the Minister for National Planning and Monitoring, and Member for Yangoru-Saussia, Richard Maru.

Surinki Agriculture Farm to supply vegetables in 12 months' time

Innovative Agro Industry (IAI) CEO, Lior Crystal said design phase is at completion stage and construction to start soon.  

“We are deep into design phase and about to break ground at the end of the month to start with the construction phase, meaning that from a year (time) will be consuming the products from the Surinki Agro Farm.

He added that majority of the 200 tonnes of fresh produces will be grown by local farmers and sold to the farm for market distribution.

Producing and buying locally helps FOREX market

“Once you start replacing imports with locally grown food you are saving on your foreign currency reserve,” says Innovative Agro Industry (IAI) chairman Ilan Weiss.

Currently Papua New Guinea’s big businesses are facing difficulties importing goods like before because Bank of Papua New Guinea have in place limitation on selling of foreign currency in a day to control the foreign reserve currency.

“Like right now what the supermarkets and retailers are doing is converting Kina into Dollars to bring (buy) foods in,” Weiss said.

K23 million vegetable farm for Enga

The feasibility study for the K23 million projects to be located in Sirinki had been completed, and the signing of the ‘deed of agreement’ today paves way for ground work to start next month.  

The feasibility study started in 2014. 

Enga Governor Sir Peter Ipatas said this is the biggest public private partnership the provincial government is involved with in the province.

He thanked the National Government for releasing K5 million, which the EPG topped up with K1 million to pay for shareholding in the project.