Trukai industries will be expanding rice production in the coming years with the aim to reduce Papua New Guinea’s dependence on imports.
Morobe is fast becoming Papua New Guinea’s rice capital in a real sense. Some of the land that used to be cattle farms in Erap just past Nadzab airport, has been converted to rice paddies. They’re trial plantation but the company expects them to become the core of a nationwide rice growing project.
This week Trukai took delivery of a new harvester. It will be used at the Erap farms. It is one of Trukai’s major investments this quarter.
Trukai is working with key government organizations – the National Agriculture Research Institute (NARI) and The Tniversity of Technology. Scientists at both organizations are assisting Trukai select the best varieties of rice for different parts of the country.
A team from Trukai has just returned from West New Britain. A promising partnership is being forged between the provincial government and the company.
While rice has been grown in Morobe for the last 200 years, it hasn’t taken off as an industry. It’s largely because of the labor intensive nature of rice growing. Those involved in rice growing hope that will change in the coming months.
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