NARI will host the 2012 National Agriculture Conference at its Momase Regional Centre at Bubia near Lae during May 24-25. Themed “Key Drivers for a Robust, Dynamic and Productive Agriculture Sector in PNG”, the two day event is being organised by the Consultative Implementation and Monitoring Council. The conference will be opened by Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Hon Dr Puka Temu.
NARI launched a redesigned corporate plan during the 2012 Agricultural Innovations Show at Bubia in Lae on 4th May. The development and establishment of the plan, Strategy and Results Framework (SRF), which is relevant to present circumstances, was the most recent and important milestone in the Institute.
Agriculture should be the centre of PNG’s development agenda and targeted by all stakeholders for development if the nation is to proper and become one of the developed nations of the world, said NARI Director General Dr Raghunath Ghodake.
Dr Ghodake said NARI’s assertion has been that agriculture was the most important sector in the PNG economy because the vast majority of the PNG population depends on this sector and also due to its untapped but realizable potential.
The 2012 Agricultural Innovations Show is set to take place on Friday May 4 at NARI’s Sir Alkan Tololo Research Centre, 10 Mile – Bubia, outside Lae. This day will also mark NARI’s 15th Anniversary. Preparations are well underway for this annual event, which will be staged for the 6th time this year by NARI.
Close to 600 taro farmers from East New Britain graduated recently with flying colours after being trained by the National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) at Keravat. During a graduation ceremony, 598 taro growers from the province’s four districts were awarded certificates for successfully completing an intensive hands-on training on the best practices of commercial taro production. The training covered nursery management, field management, postharvest and marketing.