THE Farmers and Settlers Association have called on the Department of Agriculture and Livestock (DAL) and Department of Commerce and Industry (DCI) to address the issues surrounding shortage of poultry feed stock in the country.
“The Farmers and Settlers Association reiterates it’s call whether we have any officers within the Livestock Wing of the Department of Agriculture and Livestock and also officers within Department of Commerce and Industry to keep track of issues affecting the country,” Association President Wilson Thompson said in a statement.
“Do these two departments know how much stock in animal feed, grains and wheat or rice we have in the country? How do we address such shortage that adds costs to our people who travel in from outside to buy these human food and animal food that is needed for nutrition and food needs of the people.
“We acknowledge that NGTB had now got back to supplying feedstock and hope to see more PNG business get into agriculture processing and manufacturing.
“We maintain our call to the government to scrap unnecessary fertilizer and fuel levy, warehouse and flammable liquids fees, Wharf-age and tonnage fees and stop the research and extension levy collected from all farmers and growers by commodity boards that do not even provide these services.”
“Until we do that our people will get into agriculture processing, manufacturing and supplying that will ensure they buy more from local sources and create more employment and keep the taxes in PNG than exporting jobs and taxes out in raw products overseas.”
Mr Thompson revealed that the recent shortage around the country is related to transport issues as the demand placed on existing stock.
He noted that NCD, Gulf and Central, the Chemica Ltd has three containers already at the wharf and all should have feeds by today.
“Further, containers are on the way from Lae and there is no need to panic.”
The association in an earlier statement called on the government to reduce non tax fees and charges to encourage downstream processing including feed mills.
“The Farmer’s and Settlers Association issued an alert few weeks ago where there were reported shortage of poultry feed stock. It affected ENBP and EHP and the Highlands few weeks ago.
“The shortage is related to supply problem.
“We have three major suppliers been Goodman Fielder International, Trukai and New Guinea Table Birds (NGTB) and Farmset Ltd is a smaller operation for its own stores. “In the last 12 months, Trukai and NGTB stopped production leaving GFI only to supply the whole country.
“That placed strains on the GFI factory as it needed to take on the loads of Trukai and NGTB.
“However, we have the NGTB getting back its production of feedstocks which would alleviate the shortage.”