The oil palm industry has opposed the government's directive to levy a high tax on fertiliser, agriculture's most basic input because it will bring the industry out of business. Robert Nilkare, chairman of the PNG Palm Oil Producers Association and PNG country manager of New Britain Palm Oil Ltd (NBPOL), said the oil palm industry was heavily dependent...

Governments in some coffee-producing countries have struggled to provide facilities that encourage the cultivation and processing of high-quality coffee. Strategies for improving coffee production and processing in Papua New Guinea: Lessons from the top five coffee-producing countries, a report by the PNG National Research Institute (NRI), highlighted ...

According to the Goroka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), business is sluggish in Goroka, Eastern Highlands, but there is hope that the situation will change when the coffee industry picks up. In a market update, GCCI president Chris Anders said that coffee has always had a significant influence on the local economy. “Business has been slow t...

According to estimates from a survey, coffee production in the country has been decreasing for the past ten years. “From 1998 to 2018, the coffee harvest area and quantity of coffee produced in PNG decreased by 33 per cent and 28 per cent respectively,” a National Research Institute (NRI) report stated. The downturn was triggered by the problems tha...

In the Southern Highlands Province, K10 million has been set aside for agriculture growth.  Agriculture is the backbone of any economy, according to Southern Highlands agriculture advisor Kenneth Kuimp, so growing it in the province is a step in the right direction. He said that the province is embracing change and that agriculture is the driving force...

According to the National Fisheries Authority, the government is on track to increase downstream processing of fisheries products to 50% by 2025. Papua New Guinea had already accomplished around 23% of the goal, according to Authority managing director John Kasu. “There are a number of (government) objectives such as downstream processing which we h...

The National Fisheries Authority seeks to develop infrastructure in order to grow PNG's fishing industry. According to NFA managing director John Kasu, the company has already submitted a 10-year strategic plan to the National Executive Council, which will be unveiled in April in Parliament to lay the groundwork for the fishing industry's future. “O...

To collaborate in fisheries infrastructure development, the National Fisheries Authority (NFA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Korea Fisheries Infrastructure Public Agency of the Republic of Korea on Fisheries Ports Development. The MoU provides a framework for both these groups to facilitate the sharing of best practices and ex...

The government has so far put in K19 million for cost support to cocoa. According to Agriculture and Livestock Minister John Simon, the high-quality cocoa needed to be produced for the price to stay at K3 per kg. He added that last year, it was K10million and this year, K9 million as an incentive to growers to increase production.  He said that what...

The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Livestock Development Corporation (LDC), ENB Provincial Government and the Rabaul District Investment Corporation Ltd at Kurakakaul has pledged the government K1 million towards setting up the Kurakakaul abattoir and ranch rehabilitation project in Rabaul, East New Britain. Agriculture and ...

The grants coursed through the Bougainville partnership commodity support facility will benefit cocoa farmers and women. An initiative of the Autonomous Bougainville Government supported by Australia through the PNG-Australia partnership, and the New Zealand government, the grants range between K300,000 and K500,000 benefitting.  Some of those selec...

In a recent visit to Jiwaka, Prime Minister James Marape said that the commodity cost support programme will support the current coffee market costs.Following the initial K50mil allocated last November, Marape said that the programme will receive K200 million each year. Through the Coffee Industry Corporation (CIC), the government has already allotted K10...

During the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access Plus (Phama Plus) and the Coffee Industry Corporation (CIC), it is emphasized that marketing needs more attention in the exportation of coffee to the international market.While Rachael McCarthy of the New Zealand High Commission is happy ...

To support local farmers to encourage them to take part in cash cropping, extension services in agriculture into rural areas must take place.This was according to the Department of Agriculture and Livestock (DAL) Minister John Simon who said that the country needs 400 agriculture extension officers.“Many farmers are trying their best to sustain their farm...

The round log export tax was a failed policy.According to Forestry Industry Association president Bob Tate, the current tax regime (50.2 per cent) had affected businesses which resulted in a decline of US$83 million (K288.42mil) from January to November in 2020.In 2020, royalty payment to landowners also saw a decline of K16 million because of the decreas...

Papua New Guinea may likely export rice in the future. That is if this industry can gain support. According to the Department of Agriculture and Livestock (DAL) rice extension unit programme manager Heai Hoko, only Trukai Industries has been exporting rice to Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands presently. He added that PNG rice had the potential to export to...