Maru calls on NARI to develop plan
Trade, Commerce and Industry Minister Richard Maru made the call when he officially opened the two day canarium or galip conference and fair in East New Britain last Thursday.
“If we want Government support, we have to bring the plan to NEC. Government needs to see a document that is very well articulated to convince that galip has the potential to be developed as a major commercial crop, based on credible scientific research and market research,” he said.
Maru praised the institute for the millions of hours spent into research on the galip nut and the work it did to develop a new commercial crop.
“On behalf of the National Government, I would like to acknowledge our partners and supporters like the European Union for its funding support to NARI so far of K7 million towards this galip research project.
“I can only encourage our generous partners like the EU and others to continue to support NARI on its continued research work in its efforts to commercialise galip,” he said.
“The stage you’ve reached is exciting news for our country, because we’ve been keenly looking for alternative crops to mitigate the risk that we as a country have been exposed to, in the likes of pest and diseases like the Cocoa Pod Borer, exchange rate volatility and world market forces and its negative impact like market oversupply which has resulted in lower prices to our farmers which we have no control over,” Maru said.
He said if the country can successfully develop a strong and sustainable galip industry, it can be a major contributor to increasing income earning opportunities for our village communities.
In addition, it would address the lack of opportunities for the SME sector and be a major export earner for PNG as well.
Maru said the next task was to educate farmers in all coastal provinces on the commercial value of the nut compared with other crops.
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