Biosecurity glitch seen as biggest risk to PNG

By LUKE KAMA
PAPUA New Guinea has a very weak biosecurity system and is vulnerable to incursion of exotic diseases from outside, according to Papua New Guinea Poultry Industry Association.
Association secretary Dr Keith Galgal said this in a media conference in Port Moresby on Friday before accompanying a delegation led by National Planning Minister Richard Maru to New Zealand to explore opportunities and learn from the poultry industry in that country.
Galgal said PNG was a disease-free country that had good biosecurity records and had the potential to export poultry products as well as other agricultural produce overseas.
However, he added, one issue that seriously needed to be addressed was the country’s biosecurity system.
“In Papua New Guinea, we didn’t have cocoa pod borer, coffee berry borer or the coconut beetle which is currently affecting our copra industry as well as a threat to the oil palm industry,” Galgal said.
“We did not have these diseases in our country but because we have a weak biosecurity system, they are entering our country.
“That’s why we need to tighten our country’s biosecurity system.”
Galgal said PNG did not have any biosecurity issue and could comfortably export its products overseas when the time was right in terms of commercialising the country’s agriculture sector.
“That’s why the PNG Poultry Industry Association always fights tooth-and-nail with the Government when it comes to protecting the poultry industry in PNG,” Galgal said.
“We have exotic diseases coming into the country affecting important cash crops like
coffee, cocoa, copra as well as oil palm.”
He said PNG had already signed an agreement with the Solomon Islands to supply poultry products from PNG there, which was an achievement for both industry and country.
“This will be the first time Papua New Guinea will exporting poultry products and certification is already being done
between the two countries,” Galgal said. “Once the request for supplies is delivered, our major industries will export their poultry products to the Solomon Islands.”