Firm happy with farming agreement with Western

By PETER ESILA
ISRAELI Agriculture company Innovated Ago Industry (IAI) is happy to develop agriculture in Western, which is better known for producing rubber.
Chairman and managing director Ilan Weiss said vanilla, stock feed, poultry and cocoa would be developed in the province.
He said this during the launching of the West Agro Master Plan in Kiunga last week.
Weiss said logistical challenges would be there for the province but could be overcome if the province worked together.
The plan is a joint-venture created between Ok Tedi Development Foundation (OTDF) and IAI.
It is worth more than K200 million and 20 per cent will be invested by IAI.
It is also supported by the Fly River (Western) government.
“We have to look at the challenges and how we are going to solve them, mainly the logistics challenges all around the province,” Weiss said.
“We will look for crops which have high value and can last for long without refrigeration, less weight, more value. We want to make sure that the people get employment, that there is a shift from subsistence farming to cash crop farming and make sure that there is sustainability.”
Ok Tedi Mining Ltd (OTML) board chairman Sir Moi Avei said this agriculture master plan was a shared vision.
“It didn’t come from Waigani, it was a homegrown plan,” he said.
Sir Moi said 33 per cent of OTML belonged to the people of Western.
“The 33 per cent cannot remain on paper,” he said.
“We must be able to translate that into profit so that the small people in Western province will now have the means to get up and participate in the West Agro Plan.
“That is our job.
“What we can do is to make sure that OTML remains a very-profitable company.
“Thirty-three per cent will remain in Western province. This will be the turning point in Western province’s history.”