Industry eyes farming potential in Northern

By HELEN TARAWA
THE Innovative Agro Industry is extending its business to Northern with negotiations underway to develop agriculture there.
Chairman and executive director Ilan Weiss said they would work with provincial governments and organisations with public private partnership interests.
Weiss said Papua New Guinea had a lot to offer in the agriculture sector.
The 9-Mile Farm produces on average 18 tonnes of agricultural produce a week which are supplied to supermarkets.
Weiss said their biggest importer was MacDonald’s in Fiji.
“My biggest challenge in exports is air freight costs with the local airlines which is expensive at this time,” he said.
Weiss said the farm employed about 1500 workers with more than 80 per cent women.
About 90 per cent come from the settlements.
Ijivitari MP Richard Masere who visited 9-Mile and the Ilimo Dairy Farms said they were inviting Innovative Agro Industry to the district.
“They will be visiting the district in January to inspect potential areas for this development project to get off the ground,” Weiss said.
“This is again developing the agriculture framework through the public private partnership programme to ensure that we see job creation, economic growth and participating in agriculture.
“These are some of the things we have initiated so far within the sector.”