About twenty million hectares of rice will be lost as a direct result of Climate Changey 2030.
This is fromthe Ministry and Department of Agriculture and Livestock (DAL) as it’seek expressions of interests from companies who wish to enter large scale rice production.
The Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Tommy Tomscoll in a statement saidthe project hopes to preventthe loss of rice production through climate change and uncertain futuristic global economic growth.
Underthe Public Private Partnership,the rice project will enhance food security, income and meetthe domestic demand of 7.2 million people.
He said one ofthe major projects withinthe food security program of DAL is a focus on rice production policy.
The policy calls forPNG to put 100, 000 hectares of rain – fed lowland rice production in order to produce between 150, 000 to 170, 000 tonnes of milled rice annually.
Atthe momentoprojections indicate thatthe market is able to absorb up to 500, 000 tonnes of annual rice production from 100, 000 hectares of land.
DAL has taken out public notices onthe proposed rice project. All project proposals by companies must be submitted to DAL before July 25.
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