Bird welcomes opportunity to develop province

EAST Sepik Governor Allan Bird has welcomed the World Bank and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) as development partners in the province.
“I’m pleased that you chose this province as a beneficiary of this project (cocoa and coffee rehabilitation),” Bird said.
“I always believe you need good tools to achieve an outcome. This partnership is a tool to motivate our farmers.”
Members of the World Bank-led implementation support mission arrived in East Sepik with government officials and staff of the Papua New Guinea Cocoa Board and Coffee Industry Corporation.
The World Bank and IFAD are financing the productive partnerships in agriculture project on cocoa and coffee rehabilitation in the country including the hinterland of East Sepik.
The mission also travelled along the Sepik Highway to check the status of rehabilitation activities, especially nurseries at project sites in Maprik and Yangoru districts.
It was an opportunity for farmers to share issues involving the project with the mission members.
Bird told the mission members that the long-term agenda for the province was providing employment, and the agriculture sector alone could employ about half of the 600,000 people of East Sepik.
“I’m looking for partnerships. We need people to come in to partner to achieve that.”
Bird said the Frieda River mine was expected to generate between K30 million and K40 million for the two Sepik provinces, but the impact in terms of employment would be minimal.
“Agriculture is the biggest employer. I therefore, assure you my fullest support for the World Bank and IFAD for cocoa and coffee development work in the province.”
East Sepik is the current leading cocoa producer. It contributes 30 per cent of the 40,000 metric tonnes produced in a year.
He said agriculture contributed between K500 million and K600 million to the provincial economy each year.