By Adelaide Sirox Kari – EMTV News, Port Moresby
Eastern Highlands Province is looking to China, to build Agriculture in the province.
This comes after a visit by Governor Peter Numu, Agriculture Minister Benny Allan and Provincial Government officers to Fujian Province, China, last month (June) to attend a Symposium on Juncao Technology and Investment & Trade partnership with Fujian Provincial Government. The delegates were in Fujian province for a week, attending a symposium on Juncao Technology.
“We have used the Juncao Technolgy in the province for over 20 years and we are ready to partner with China in developing agriculture in Eastern Highlands Province.” Mr Numu said.
Juncao technology is the use of wild or artificially cultivated herbaceous plants to cultivate edible and medicinal mushrooms and fungus fertilizers. It has been used in Lufa District, Eastern Highlands, which was chosen for research on mushroom development as well as 20 year research on Dry land rice in Goroka.
Governor Numu said the technology would help the province in mass production of mushroom and rice.
“My main aim is to utilize the potential of the technology for Commercialization of Rice in EHP, aiming at increasing income for my local people and the Provincial Government; alleviate poverty and increasing Food Security; Promoting more cash flow in the province; and addressing many cross-cutting issues.”
Following the symposium, delegates visited a display of products by different companies, travelled to a factory which supplies mushroom using Juncao Technology and also visited local farms.
“We were the first and only province allowed to visit the Fujian Forestry and Agriculture University; gardens and technology laboratory. I was also given the opportunity to talk on behalf of the International countries during the opening ceremony of the Symposium. After the symposium ended, countries and their delegates were given the opportunity to visit the display of products showcased by different companies. We took a long 4 hours trip to the Factory (a world supplier of Mushroom using Juncao Technology); another 2 hours trip to local farms using Juncao Technology; and another 4 hours driving back to Fuzhou City. “
According to Governor Numu, another reason for their trip was to strengthen ties with the Fujian Province. He said, both provinces had established a sister province relationship 20 years ago (specify). Discussions were held on how the provincial governments would partner with each other on different agriculture projects.
“I asked the Fujian Provincial Government to further strengthen the relationship established by the President of China, Xi Jinping some 20 years ago. They will be sending technical equipment over (to EHP) and further participate in Public-Private-Partnership arrangements through a joint venture, in any project development as well as economic investment. The joint venture will strengthen local Eastern Highlanders in terms of engineering training, transfer of skills and knowledge and capacity building. In that way Eastern Highlanders will in future sustain themselves by setting up new construction companies with full labour, capacity for road and bridge construction and other infrastructure developments.”
The Governor believes the trip would get the ball rolling for Agriculture Sector plans for Eastern Highlands province.
“The commercialisation of rice and mushroom in the province is expected next year and if all goes well, you may be able to have rice and mushroom grown from Eastern Highlands on your plate in the very near future.” Mr Numu said.
