PNG needs a grain industry, says farm boss

By LUKE KAMA
HAVING a grain industry in Papua New Guinea can significantly reduce the costs of meat and dairy products, says managing director of Boroma Piggery Ltd Craig Bradfield.
Boroma Piggery Farm is located at 15-Mile outside Port Moresby.
It supplies fresh pork to major supermarkets in Port Moresby including RH Hypermart, Stop and Shop, Meat Haus, Waterfront, JMart and other hoteliers.
It also supplies live pigs. The farm imports grain from Australia and produces stockfeed using its feed milling plant at the farm.
Bradfield told The National that PNG had the potential to produce enough pork and chicken meat to meet local demand, replace imports and export surplus overseas.
He said the problem was lack of government support over the years to drive the industry forward.
“One thing I would like to get into is the need for PNG to have a grain farm because there is currently none,” Bradfield said.
“All grains are imported from overseas, particularly Australia.”
Bradfield said the grain they bought from Australia cost them twice as much as what Australian farmers paid.
“We have to pay freights and port charges and everything,” he said.
“That’s why we struggle as an industry to be competitive against meat imports from abroad.”
Bradfield said growing a pig was in the feed and stock feed took most of their operational costs annually.
“If you have a grain industry in PNG, it would be of great benefit, not only to the commercial farmers but to everybody: smallholder farmers, poultry and the dairy industry,” he said.
“The reduced operational costs of producing the meat could also be passed onto citizens, so they enjoy high quality protein produced locally at a cheaper price compared to the current price.”