Trukai’s rice mill nears completion

TRUKAI Industries’ long-term plans for a sustainable commercial rice industry in Papua New Guinea have taken a leap forward as a new paddy rice mill in Lae nears completion.
The Trukai Industries rice mill maintenance team is working with the Vietnamese industrial and agricultural machinery company Bui Van Ngo to install the paddy rice mill.
It is now in full-swing and expected to be completed this month.
The mill has a maximum production capacity of 240 tonnes per week, though output will be limited by how much rice can be grown at this stage.
Trukai has laid down its blueprint to expand the local rice farming industry over the next decade and beyond.
Alongside the Chingwam rice growers cooperative, it has established more than 500 hectare of rice plantation near Rangiampum, which will be progressively expanded to 2000 hectares.
“Our technicians expect the project to be completed within the next few weeks,” James Gawne, the Engineering Manager for Trukai Industries Limited, said.
“New mains have been installed and power supply from the stock-feed end of shed has been supplied to the area.”
Trukai Industries general manager for Agriculture Jarrod Pirie said the new rice mill was another foundation being laid to establish a genuine local rice industry.