Lanco lauds move to revive cattle farm

 By GABRIEL FITO

TURUBU Oil Palm Landowner Company chairman Aron Malijiwi has welcomed the national government’s decision to revive the rundown state-owned Urimo cattle station on the Sepik plains in  East Sepik.

Malijiwi said the company was pleased with Commerce Trade and Industry Minister Richard Maru, who was keen on reviving the cattle industry in the province.

However, due process and procedures must be followed to successfully revive the project, he said.

“The first thing the government must do is get the resource owners of portion 126(a) at Urimo, their landowner company Katnimba and executives of Turubu Oil Palm to review the agreement.

Malijiwi said: “The Turubu Oil Palm was included since portion 126 is inside the land area of SABL portion 144(c), where it (Turubu) is developing an oil palm project.

“I fully support the cattle project but there must be proper negotiations with affected parties so that the government, the resource owners and Turubu Oil Palm would all be happy. 

“I want to create a win-win situation for us all.”

“Herds of cows, horses and buffalos that multiplied in the wilderness after the cattle station was shut down over 30 years ago destroyed cash crops and food gardens, contaminated water sources and attacked humans,” Malijiwi said.