Firm: Focus on local processing of food

National

THE agriculture sector should focus more on the downstream processing of food and domestic consumption before exporting, says Innovative Agro Industry Ltd chairman Ilan Weiss.
He said downstream processing industries focused on domestic consumption would eventually become efficient.
“We can create a prime industry with cocoa and produce chocolate in the country,” Weiss said.
Weiss spoke at a fundraising dinner for the People First Party on Saturday in Port Moresby attended by Prime Minister James Marape.
“For example, the French did not grow vines and grapes to produce wine and export to other countries,” he said.
“They did it for themselves. And when they got good at it, they started exporting.”
Weiss said Papua New Guinea could do the same with its products.
The Innovative Agro Industry which has farms in a number of provinces is focused on downstream processing and engaging subsistence farmers in rural areas to earn cash from their crops.