Trukai Industries has gone into a partnership with the Pacific Adventist University (PAU) to continue the company’s rice cultivation training under its Smart Farmers Program.
This after the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) at the Trukai Office in Lae recently.
This agreement comes after the Trukai successfully certified more 100+ local rice farmers in irrigated rice farming under the partnership with the PNG University of Technology’s Agriculture Department recently.
This new five-year partnership with PAU is aimed at utilizing academic and professional facilities to enhance the knowledge of local rice farmers in PNG and provide farmers with an accredited certificate from a recognized tertiary institution in Papua New Guinea.
The partnership will also allow local rice farmers have access to the University’s learning facilities as well as farming areas, student training and extension activities.
This will enable them to acquire a certificate from a recognized tertiary institution, while also building capacity in local rice farming to transition from subsistence to commercial rice farming in the long run.
T.I Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Alan Preston, when welcoming the partnership, said the program demonstrated the company’s commitment to Papua New Guinea and its people.
“Trukai has always stayed true to its commitment to building capacity in our people and we are proud to have one of the most extensive ESG programs, which covers areas in sports, health, education, sustainability, and agriculture.”
“We continue to reaffirm our commitment to the people by investing millions of Kina throughout the years to help raise the wellbeing of our people,” said Preston.
PAU’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Teatulohi Matainaho, said that he was pleased to join a partnership with Trukai due to the program’s community-orientated aspect.
“The most important function for any educational institution is the transferring of knowledge to the people.”
“I welcome this partnership with Trukai as the rice cultivation training delivers knowledge to the people from our communities,” said Professor Matainaho.
Trukai Industries’ Rice Development Manager, Aina Davies, echoed Prof. Matainaho’s sentiments, adding that the training is intended for the local people.
“The Smart Farmer program is designed for PNG rice farmers who are interested to grow rice at a commercial level, but do not have the knowledge and skills to transition from their subsistent farming systems.”
“The program in partnership with the universities ensures that our local rice farmers receive quality and updated knowledge from our prominent education institutions,” said Davis.