Agriculture Dept announces projects achieved

By CLARISSA MOI
Department of Agriculture and Livestock has announced a number of major projects achieved this year.
Minister Benny Allan said these included the Sepik Plains project, the buyer rice and stockfeed project, the Sugar Cocoland project in Abau, Yalu dairy, vegetable farms at Surinki in Enga, Central dairy, rice projects in Markham Valley and Pacific Adventist University (PAU).
“The Sepik Plains project involves Kumul Agriculture Ltd (KAL), which has signed an agreement with Innovative Agro Industry,” he said.
“That project is already happening in Sepik Plains.
“We also recently in Cabinet (last week) approved a buyer rice and stockfeed project worth K65 million.
“Cabinet has also given an approval in principle for the Sugar Cocoland Project in Abau which the department is working on.
“We have the Yalu dairy that is in the process, with submissions about to go to Cabinet.
“There are the vegetable farms in Surinki, Enga, and we have the existing Central Dairy up at 14-Mile.
“We also have the rice project in Markham, but on a small scale.”
Allan said there were many investors trying to venture into agriculture in PNG.
“The one at PAU is jointly funded by the Philippines and PNG governments,” he said.
“It’s just a demonstration farm to bring farmers to come out there, train the farmers how they can grow rice and also give them seeds.
“It is also a seed bank.
“The Government has approved K8 million for that project last week.
“We want to thank the prime minister and the government for having confidence in agriculture and investing in this sector that will grow this economy.
“It’s important that we invest in economic sector: tourism, fisheries, forestry and agriculture. For us, we are pleased that the government has given us K600 million.
“We have used part of it to invest in some of these projects.”