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Business |
RSL to spend K15mil on beef
abattoir
By JASON SOM KAUT
RAMU Sugar Ltd plans
to spend K15 million for its beef operations to double abattoir
capacity to at least 100 heads per day.
The plan would be carried out sometime during the next three
years while raising genetically-improved cattle for breeding and
mass propagation through contractual breeding scheme involving
local farmers.
RSL said local breeding of improved cattle species would be
complemented with import of live cattle as there was not enough
supply locally to meet the daily requirements of the abattoir.
With this, RSL hoped that it would be able to meet rising
demands both domestic and international, create more employment
and bring in more revenue for the country.
Similar to the public-private sector arrangement with oil palm,
the project would involve local landowners in a financing
package that will be supported by the National Development Bank
(NDB).
Here, Ramu will be the management contractor responsible for
supplying cattle to participating landowners.
This was revealed recently by Ramu Beef general manager Kym
Michael, who said they expected to begin the expansion within
the next three years.
“The expansion would double capacity from 60 to 100 heads of
cattle a day, including the processing of pork,” Mr Michael
said.
He urged for support from Government, investors and other
stakeholders including financial institutions and local
landowners for the success of the project and benefit of every
participant.
The new abattoir will allow Ramu Beef to diversify to provide
“service kills” for other cattle producers where they will
slaughter the animals on behalf of others.
This falls in line with RSL’s diversification from sugar and
beef into oil palm and cashew nut among others, in its bid to
take the lead in transforming the Markham Valley into national
food bowl.
Mr Michael said Ramu Beef had “future plans to import cattle
because there is not enough in PNG”.
He said the company would be importing genetically-improved bull
species for a bull breeding programme that would be included in
the project.
 
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