Just 20 minutes outside of Port Moresby, the country’s first large scale, commercial dairy farm, is taking shape rapidly. The Ilimo Dairy farm welcomed their first shipment of around 500 cows from New Zealand in May.
The farm has been under construction for several months now, and aims to hit the shelves in time for Christmas.
A mere five months ago, the Ilimo Dairy Farm was simply an open field with scattered piles of construction material and work-in-progress foundation of a shed.
EMTV’s Business PNG crew visited the farm, in mid-march this year for a tour of what could be mistaken as a wasteland.
Today, the farm is buzzing with the sound of construction work, as contractors from Dekenai, toil to meet deadlines given to them by owners, Innovative Agro Industries; and amidst the chaos, in a well-ventilated and quarantined area, some 500 cows rest; ready for production.
The farm is taking shape rapidly and is expected to supply high-quality dairy products to Papua New Guinean consumers. Products such as milk, yoghurt, ice cream and other dairy snacks.
IAI hopes that this will ultimately curb dairy imports and create a sustainable dairy production industry in the country and eventually, in the region.
Currently, the country is a heavy importer of dairy products from our neighbors, Australia and New Zealand.
