Public-private partnership is the way forward for agriculture, says Allan

MINISTER for Agriculture and Livestock Benny Allan says public-private partnership (PPP) is the way forward to drive agriculture to the next level in the country.
He said this when witnessing the signing ceremony of the shareholders’ agreement for Sepik Chicken Grain and Cocoa Innovation Project in the Sepik Plains of Yangoru-Saussia in East Sepik.
The project will be managed by Innovative Agro-Industry Industry.
Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, National Planning and Monitoring Minister Richard Maru, Public Enterprise and State Investments Minister William Duma and Lands and Physical Planning Minister Justin Tkatchenko witnessed.
“We believe in getting the private sector to drive the economy, especially in the agriculture sector,” Allan said.
“We have the Sepik Plains, Baiyer Valley, Markham Valley, Central province and many other provinces in the country who have very good land.
“It is important that our landowners must make land available so that these good investments must come in. Without land, we cannot do anything.
“We have people who have already expressed interest to grow rice in the country.
“These can address a lot of the problems we have in agriculture sector and replace some of the imports that we have.
“We can replace imports of rice and dairies.
“All we need to do is to work together.”