Government, private partnership good for farming industry

NATIONAL Planning and Monitoring Minister Richard Maru told the national agriculture summit that the sector should be driven on a private sector culture.
Maru stressed that Government should partner with the private sector to grow agriculture.
“If you are doing research on the food item that we would like to have in the industry, I will support you,” he said.
“So many research going on and we have not commercialised those research. Research for the sake of doing a research won’t be supported. Priority now is wheat. I would like to see a wheat research project.
“I would be keen to support research we can commercialise and lower the import level.
“Grains is the other one. Sorghum and all that.
“Companies who are really going into that space, and I know Mainland is, I would like to support you. If you need more support from the Government, come and talk to us. We are ready to support you.
“Next year I’ve got a budget to start a national breeding farm to supply calves to all the farmers.
“We want to revive the cattle industry again. We don’t need to import beefs, we can produce those ourselves.”