Papua New Guinea

LEMCO Papua New Guinea Development Strategy

1. Organic Palm Oil Plantations.
2. Creating Integrated Farming zones nation wide.  To be supported by added value processing industries.

1. Establishing Pongamia BioFuel Plantations.

1. Organic Livestock Farming
2. Seaweed Farming – targeting 2200 ha of sea farming nationwide.
3. Upon establishment of Organic Farming Zones, LEMCO will look to support the creation of Agri-Tourism initiatives to attract people to visit PNG.

LEMCO sees ‘organic’ as an Opportunity for PNG. PNG offers large land areas, in some cases already cleared, that are ideally placed for quickly supplying the Global Organic Food Market. Working with Australian Organic Certifiers (AOC), LEMCO can assist to quickly create Certified Grower Groups.

Currently, PNG’s main agri exports are cocoa, coffee and virgin coconut oil.

Planting Pongamia in Grasslands in PNG

Undertaking Pongamia plantations in grassland areas in PNG will assist with restoring the lands to being productive quickly and also able to be used for other intercropping and livestock grazing opportunities.

Being a legume, Pongamia quickly assists with giving back needed nitrogen to the soil.  Pongamia best grows in areas getting 1200 to 2500mm in rainfall.

Seaweed Farming in PNG

LEMCO wants to secure up to 2,200 ha of sealand for seaweed farming on the Central Province Coast to create the largest commercial seaweed farming opportunity in the world.  

Eucheuma Cottonii – Kappa will be the main species of seaweed planted.  The original seed stock will be sourced from Malaysia. LEMCO Papua New Guinea will focus on the export of Raw Dried Seaweed for the first 12 months.

With 2000 ha planted, harvesting only 4 crops per year there is potential for 15,500 tons of Dry Seaweed to be produced. This will generate USD$21.7 million in income and create employment for close to 1500 families.  

Barai Forest Management

LEMCO will acknowledge Barai Forest Management Areas, along the Emo river in the Oro Province.  It is located along the mid northern plains of the main dividing Owen Stanley Ranges. Initial management of a 540,000hectare allotment represents only 10% of the total land management allocation.