By Jim John
A new state of the art Agro Industrial Centre was opened in Kiunga, Western Province on Friday, the .
As part of the agribusiness pillar of the 2018 to 2021 Western Provincial Development plan,
this vanilla Industrial Centre is the new beginning for the people in Western Province which will deliver generational economic development opportunities.
The official launching took place at the Samagos Department of Primary Industries (DPI) in Kiunga.
Member for North Fly James Donald has urged his people to be involved in vanilla farming that will generate income for all.
He says people in North Fly and Western Province as a whole should not depend on Ok Tedi Mine but agriculture is a way forward for all.
While thanking parties involved in the establishment of the center, Minister for Agriculture Aiye Tambua, encouraged that people should continue to plough their land for mass production, adding that the national government is now focused on the agriculture sector within the country.
The Fly vanilla project completed in June 2023 include a nursery demonstration plot, 14 green houses at an area of 2 hectares all euipped with a total of approximately 17,000 vines growing on site.
This Industrial Centre has high intensive green-house tunnel conditions with an expected production of over 20 metric ton of curved vanilla beans annually with internal rate of K18 million from year 2026 onward.
