Partnership seen as key to development, sustainable agriculture

THE Government, private sector and donor agencies have been encouraged to work together to ensure meaningful rural development and sustainable agriculture.
New Britain Palm Oil Limited country manager Robert Nilkare urged more partnership between key stakeholders during the three-day inaugural agriculture summit in Port Moresby.  Nilkare said sustainable agriculture and rural development were key focus areas for NBPOL.
He said the government’s approach to sustainable development was captured in the National Strategy for Responsible Sustainable Development (STARS) policy.
The task now is to partner and implement.  “A lot of the thinking has already happened. The next five years will be all about implementations,” he said.
“We don’t have to think anymore. There are a lot of companies out there with smart CEOs. People know exactly what to do.”
Nilkare also proposed a return to the business model where the government provides the land and infrastructure.
The financial support comes from the aid donors while the investor managed everything else.
“We need to go back to that model for all cash commodity crops in Papua New Guinea because it has worked well in the past,” he said.