Oil Palm industry

Maneke adamant to drive oil palm industry

Maneke in a press conference on Monday expressed satisfaction with the replanting exercise and raised concerns that overgrown oil palm plants are not producing sufficient yields which resulted in less income for the growers.

Oil palm is the third major crop with 14 percent of the annual export values in PNG. It covers a land area of 58,000 hectares (estate 33,000 ha and smallholder 25,000 ha, involving about 7,000 families).

The estates produce 65 percent of the output and 35 percent from the smallholders.

Kimbe hosts first Oil Palm Policy consultation

Consultations are being held to gather the views of oil palm growers and then formulate a regulatory framework to benefit the growers and the milling companies.

Consultations started on Friday 25th August, 2023 at Liamo Reef Resort. The second and third consultations will be held in Lae for the Momase region, and Port Moresby for the Southern region.

The Department of Agriculture and Oil Palm Industries Corporation was directed, as a matter of urgency by the government, to review the current Oil Palm Industry Corporation (OPIC) Act 1992.

Oil Palm Policy consultation underway

The first of three regional consultations started on Friday 25th August, 2023 at the Liamo Reef Resort in Kimbe, West New Britain Province. This week consultations continue to be held in Lae today (Monday 28th August) for the Momase region, and on Thursday 28th August will be a session for the Southern region in Port Moresby.

The Department of Agriculture and Oil Palm Industries Corporation were directed as a matter of urgency by the Prime Minister and the Minister for Agriculture to review the current Oil Palm Industry Corporation Act 1992.

Oil Palm continues progress

This has expanded from West New Britain to New Ireland, Oro and Milne Bay provinces and now extends into Madang, Morobe, West Sepik, East Sepik and East New Britain.

The Farmers and Settlers Association in a circular stated that in a recent statistics for  oil palm since the enactment of the Oil Palm Industry Corporation Act, 1992 has shown a steady increase in production and exports of crude palm oil.

RSPO and P&C to help oil palm industry

These issues include human rights abuse, land grabbing and a whole host more in relation to palm oil production dubbing it ‘The Greasy Palm’ in an earlier report by and 'Conflict Palm Oil' in a recent publication by Rainforest Action Network (RAN).