Chicken prices to fall: Maru

 By HELEN TARAWA
Trade, Commerce and Industry Minister Richard Maru believes the price of chicken will drop when a major stock feed factory in the Yangoru area of East Sepik starts production.
Maru told The National that 70 per cent of the cost of chicken was due to the cost of feed so if that was reduced, the cost of chicken would be reduced.
“This project will result in the reduced cost of chicken to our own people because we can now produce the feed and that’s really exciting for us,” he said.
“It’s a landmark signing between these two companies, Kumul Consolidated Holdings and Innovative Agro Industry. They are both going to invest K55million to start this project in the Sepik Plains that will result in creation of over 300 jobs and infrastructure development to the rural communities.
“A lot of farmers planting corn and cassava will be able to sell to the feed mill which will replace a lot of the feed that we bring from Australia to feed our chicken,” Maru said.
The project in the Sepik Plains includes chicken meat, eggs and stock feed.
Maru said under the project, there would also be an increased production of cocoa pods using  new technology.
“One cocoa tree will carry more pods and all of a sudden the volume of cocoa production is going to go big overnight. Then we can start to have enough volumes to have chocolate factories in the area and that’s exciting,” he said.
“I’m excited as the minister for Trade, Commerce and Industry. I think the Government is happy that Kumul Consolidated Holdings is now investing in agriculture.”