Rice

In Trukai Industries, it was clear that one company above all others in PNG represented what the FOA is asking of institutions related to the farming and agriculture sector in developing nations.

Trukai’s progressive programs aimed at developing local capacity to grow rice in PNG parallels with one of the central messages from the FOA to global companies: “Local institutions need to develop capacities and motivate men and women farmers.”

Fry, however, said Goodman Fielders who is new player in the industry will not be affected.

“Off course we are concern but been a small player in the rice game (industry) at the moment so we have little to lose.        

“Bigger rice distributors will be affected if the quota system goes through.”

Goodman Fielders will start selling its new rice product in Port Moresby starting on Monday.

The new product is called, ‘Skel Rice’ and will come in 200 and 500 grams packets, and 1 and 10 kilograms.   

The report stated that a competitive market is good for an efficient outcome and allocation of economic resources but the proposed import quota allocation system will frustrate competition and create an inefficient rice market in the country.

“By promoting anti-competitive trade practices through the proposed unfair import quota policy/system, the Government will be violating the World Trade Organization trading rules,” the report highlighted.

O’Neill said becoming self-sufficient in rice production is a matter of high national importance.

“We have a desire to grow more rice in our country and we need to work hard at this,” he said after the issue was raised in Parliament today.

“As a country we rely too much on rice imports from Australia and from Asia that is sold in Papua New Guinea.

“We want to have a large scale and commercially viable rice production sector in our country that will meet the demands of our people.

Directing his questions during Questions Without Notice this morning in Parliament to Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, Juffa raised concerns on the monopoly of the market and the benefits farmers will be missing out from the deal.

He said Oro and other provinces have already ventured into planting rice and such decisions might spoil the interest of the farmers.

“Can the Prime Minister confirm if the purported agreement of rice monopoly which will grant 80% of the domestic rice market had been signed or not?

Tomscoll said in Parliament this week that currently, PNG is importing about 350,000 tons of rice per year, which equates to something close to K600m to K700m.

Tomscoll said rice import this year will fall by just K16m due to drought and other factors affecting the total global production.

Meantime, Trukai Industries Limited chief executive officer, Greg Worthington-Eyre, said they’re not aware of any shortages of rice in rice producing countries that would impact pricing or supply in PNG.

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The deceased, Jeffery Manimban from Rai Coast district, was a staff at the Modilon Guest House.

He was shot for allegedly  stealing a packet of 1kg Roots rice belonging to Modilon Martin Tsang Supermarket (MST) and was chased by guards  and shot on the forehead.

According to Binnen community leader and owner of Modilon Guest House, David Wama, the incident happened on Saturday around 12 pm when the deceased with three other youths allegedly stole a 1kg packet of rice belonging to the MST supermarket outside the warehouse area.

The six trial projects belonging to the farmers namely; Willie Wohwiehembe, Tiawa Kolonga, Leo Pea, Paul Siune, Annette Raphael and Boniface Narakau have been planted with a number of different variety rice seeds. Rice shoots are evident at this time on the project sites prompting the Technical Officer to conduct agronomic checks on parameters around; yields, pest and diseases tolerance, milling and cooking quality. 

Wingwafi said checks are done using checklists developed by NARI scientists.

And this is particularly true for village based rice production.

Milling is the removal of rice husk, which is the outermost layer of the paddy grain.

There are several milling methods and implements which PNG farmers and traders were introduced to, ranging from diesel powered mills to locally crafted tontongs.

There is now an innovative technology for rice milling, also a crafted device - known as "kisa".