Magazine showcases Papua New Guinea’s produce and producers
Agribusiness
Bob Hansen, appointed Mainland’s Chief Executive Officer in May 2012, provides an insight into the challenges the company is facing, and outlines a strategy to place it on a sustainable and profitable footing.
Palm oil production has the potential to play a major role in economic development of Papua New Guinea. Industry development now underway in PNG shows that the returns on investment for local communities involved in palm oil plantations or smallholder systems can be high.
Palm oil, sugar and beef producer, New Britain Palm Oil Limited, is Papua New Guinea’s leading agribusiness, with almost 100,000 hectares under its management across several provinces. Made in PNG asked Jamie Graham, General Manager of NBPOL subsidiary Ramu Agri Industries, about the next steps for this PNG success story.
Coffee is one of Papua New Guinea’s major agricultural commodities, with exports worth 927 million kina (US$433 million) in 2011—a huge increase on 2010. Two varieties are grown: robusta in the coastal areas and arabica in the Highlands.
Papua New Guinea agricultural supplier Farmset is expanding its physical presence and product lines, as the country’s timber and agribusiness sectors continue to grow.
Papua New Guinea’s agricultural sector has a number of competitive advantages, including high seasonal rainfall, good quality soil and low-intensity methods. The absence of pesticides and artificial fertilisers presents opportunities for PNG to position itself as a leading organic producer.
For over 100 years, cocoa has been a driving force behind commercial agriculture in Papua New Guinea. But until now there has been little local use of PNG cocoa; instead, large quantities have been exported. In 2011, Paradise Foods Limited embarked on a new project to process PNG-grown cocoa beans into world-class single-origin chocolate couverture, investing in the establishment of a pilot plant in Port Moresby.
The sky is the limit as Papua New Guinea’s remotest province sets off on a remarkable course of sustainable development.
Farming expertise, rich soil and high rainfall are behind Papua New Guinea’s organic strength.