Provincial govt completes rice project’s agreement

THE Eastern Highlands government has signed a K300,000 purchasing agreement for the installation of a rice milling machine and training to commercialise its 20 year dry land rice project.
Governor Peter Numu said on Friday that China’s Changzhou Xingjun International Trading Company Ltd would assemble the milling equipment with 20 locals.
“We make sure that we make the necessary arrangement for the purchase and they will supply, within 40 days upon the receipt of the payment,” he said.
Numu told The National that 20 years in developing the project had taken too long and he expected rice commercialisation by the middle of next year.
He said so far there were 50 hectares of dry land rice scattered in six districts with six cooperatives in the province.
Numu said once rice was commercialised, the province could earn up to K1 billion annually.
“Income generation depends on the customers.
“We have around 400,000 households and apart from the working class or those who earn a form of income.
“The average is that they spend around K300 per month on rice alone, according to our studies,” he said.
Numu said the main districts that could grow rice are Henganofi, Goroka, Daulo, Unggai-Bena, Kainantu and Lufa.
“A part of Okapa can join Kainantu or Lufa and part of Obura-Wonenara can join Kainantu,” he said.
“That is the conducive environment that can grow the dry land rice.
“We will do our part to make sure to market our rice to all the investors in the province, supermarkets, hotels,” Numu said.
“This agreement marks the beginning of the national government’s focus on stopping the importation of rice.
“We are taking the step to implement what the government wants under the vision.”