Experts to help locals in farming

 By ELIAS LARI
THE Chinese government has sent four experts to teach locals about livestock farming under a partnership programme between the two governments.
It is the fourth phase of the programme. The first three phases focused on introducing the Chinese upland rice farming and also covered vegetable farming.
The programmes are implemented at the Highlands Agricultural College in Hati, Mt Hagen, Western Highlands.
The upland rice production has helped local farmers grow their own rice, mill, sell and consume it.
The four Chinese experts this week started the fourth phase under the Mt Hagen agricultural technical cooperation project.
There are two rice experts, a livestock expert and a translator.
They arrived last Monday at the college.
College principal Philip Senat thanked the two governments for jointly funding the programme.
“Those people who have been participating well in the last three phases are very successful in rice and vegetable farming,” Senat said.
Senat said the support from the Chinese government is helping PNG implement the Government Vision 2050 in agriculture.
Project coordinator Gibson Simon from the Highlands Agricultural College said that the three phases had focused on rice and vegetable production.
Simon said infrastructure for livestock would be set up next month to facilitate animal production.