Landowner issues are the biggest threat to all
resource developments in this country.
Whether it is the hydrocarbon, petroleum, forest or mineral resource development, we, as a country, will continue to live with issues raised by the customary landowners who live in the affected areas.
From the outrageous to the most sensible one, the local people who have inhabited Papua New Guinea will continue to lay claim to the resources and fight for their share of the benefits.
We are sure the Government as well as investors deal with landowner issues as part of the entire scheme of doing business here.
So we are not surprised that the customary landowners where the billion kina Central Province Rice Project is to be based are up in arms against the project because they claim, they are being left out.
This huge project is being promoted by the Department of Agriculture and Livestock and we fully support Sir Puka Temu, the Minister for Agriculture and Livestock, who is spearheading this project.
This is because the project holds huge potential for economic gains for Central Province as well as PNG and we, like Sir Puka, would like to see the project get off the ground quickly.
We can see that the argument by the landowners is much similar to all the others raised by the other landowners, and that is that they want to participate meaningfully in the project but the arrangement in place at present leaves them as mere spectators.
We are of the view that this should not be the case in this rice project. In major projects like in
the hydrocarbon or mineral sectors, the participation of landowners is limited due to issues related to ownership of resources, technology and finance.
For an agriculture project like the Central Rice Project, we do not see any problem in accommodating the demands from the landowners. We are of the view that the rice project is a goer and everybody – the investor, the landowners, the Central Provincial Government, the National Government and the general population – all stand to gain.
We propose to the promoters of this project that the infrastructure like the rice mill or factory should be built and operated by the investor. The rice, we believe, should be supplied by the people from Central Province.
The Central Province has the land available to grow rice. From one end of province to the other end, there are hectares and hectares of undeveloped land waiting to be converted into rice farms. Why not get the landowners to plant rice to supply the factory? Is that difficult?
It was done successfully with the Mekeo Rice Project in the 1970s.
We ask Sir Puka to seriously consider our proposal. It is easy for he can get his department to reactivate their extension program and with the support of technical experts from Indonesia, where the investor is from, the locals in Central Province should be trained to grow and harvest rice.
There is no question that hundreds of people will be provided employment and rice farmers will earn income for their produce over a long time.
We are sure the income generated will go a long way to change the lives of the people of Central Province.
Whether it is the hydrocarbon, petroleum, forest or mineral resource development, we, as a country, will continue to live with issues raised by the customary landowners who live in the affected areas.
From the outrageous to the most sensible one, the local people who have inhabited Papua New Guinea will continue to lay claim to the resources and fight for their share of the benefits.
We are sure the Government as well as investors deal with landowner issues as part of the entire scheme of doing business here.
So we are not surprised that the customary landowners where the billion kina Central Province Rice Project is to be based are up in arms against the project because they claim, they are being left out.
This huge project is being promoted by the Department of Agriculture and Livestock and we fully support Sir Puka Temu, the Minister for Agriculture and Livestock, who is spearheading this project.
This is because the project holds huge potential for economic gains for Central Province as well as PNG and we, like Sir Puka, would like to see the project get off the ground quickly.
We can see that the argument by the landowners is much similar to all the others raised by the other landowners, and that is that they want to participate meaningfully in the project but the arrangement in place at present leaves them as mere spectators.
We are of the view that this should not be the case in this rice project. In major projects like in
the hydrocarbon or mineral sectors, the participation of landowners is limited due to issues related to ownership of resources, technology and finance.
For an agriculture project like the Central Rice Project, we do not see any problem in accommodating the demands from the landowners. We are of the view that the rice project is a goer and everybody – the investor, the landowners, the Central Provincial Government, the National Government and the general population – all stand to gain.
We propose to the promoters of this project that the infrastructure like the rice mill or factory should be built and operated by the investor. The rice, we believe, should be supplied by the people from Central Province.
The Central Province has the land available to grow rice. From one end of province to the other end, there are hectares and hectares of undeveloped land waiting to be converted into rice farms. Why not get the landowners to plant rice to supply the factory? Is that difficult?
It was done successfully with the Mekeo Rice Project in the 1970s.
We ask Sir Puka to seriously consider our proposal. It is easy for he can get his department to reactivate their extension program and with the support of technical experts from Indonesia, where the investor is from, the locals in Central Province should be trained to grow and harvest rice.
There is no question that hundreds of people will be provided employment and rice farmers will earn income for their produce over a long time.
We are sure the income generated will go a long way to change the lives of the people of Central Province.
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