Firm: Agro key to reduce malnutrition

INNOVATIVE Agro Industry (IAI) PNG, operator of Ilimo Dairy, says it has been investing mostly in the country’s agriculture sector.
According to IAI, the agriculture sector is the key to fighting under-nutrition in Papua New Guinea.
IAI chairman and executive director Ilan Weiss said food security was essential to improving general nutrition across the country.
“In 2017, a report titled ‘Short Changed’ by Save the Children Australia stated that malnutrition poses a threat to the survival and development of over half-a-million children in PNG,” Weiss said.
“As a responsible corporate citizen, we cannot ignore child under-nutrition in PNG.
“So further to our business objectives to enable high nutritional foods at affordable prices, we decided to take action and as a start, to address schools in underprivileged communities.
“Ilimo farm has been involved in many activities within the community promoting healthy life style.”
As of October, Ilimo teams had been visiting schools promoting healthy choices, providing dairy products and nutritional education to more than 2,400 students in 17 schools.
Janelle Leho and Grace Loau from the Ilimo Milk In Schools team said: “Milk is known for its nutritional richness and its contribution and importance for growth, and cognitive function especially in children.
“During the visits to the schools we explain the basic nutritional benefit and the process of how the milk is produced and sold.”