Rubber industry gets K300,000 boost

By PETER ESILA
RUBBER farmers from Gulf and Sogeri, Central, will benefit from K300,000 Government funding for the sector, an official says.
PNG Rubber Board chairman Josephine Kenni said the sector would also look at increasing the cap lump price.
Kenni said this in response to the Government’s K30 million price support and freight subsidy programme for the different commodities as announced by Agriculture Minister Aiye Tambua this week.
The breakdown includes: Coffee Industry Corporation – K1.5 million; Livestock Development Corporation – K1.5 million; Oil Palm Industry Corporation – K1.5 million; Cocoa Board of PNG – K1 million; Kokonas Indastri Koporesen – K1 million; PNG Rubber Board – K300,000; Fresh Produce Development Agency – K300,000; and, Spice Board – K300,000.
Tambua said the rest of the funding would also be distributed later.
Kenni said from the allocation to rubber, K50,000 would be for Gulf.
“We have opened up Gulf after 17 years, I have distributed more tools to Gulf,” she said.
“DAL Gulf is buying at K1 per kilogramme, we are putting 50 toea on top to give them K1.50.
“We will also be going to Sogeri, they have not been cutting for a number of years.
“Sogeri plateau has a lot of plantations which has rubber and so we have moved into supplying them tools as well.
“We are also buying at K1.50, so the price support that the Government has helped to get the farmers into the field.
“The Government has helped us with the previous one, we actually put money to where it should go.”
Meanwhile, Kenni added that rubber farmers earned about K2 per kg under the previous governments, however, commended the current regime for the continued support