Agriculture & Plantations

Even though mining revenues account for most of GDP, agriculture is the way of life for about 85% of PNG’s people. Infrastructure difficulties limit the potential for exports, but PNG does specialise in several cash crops, including palm oil, rubber, coffee, cocoa, copra and tea, in addition to fish and timber. The agriculture sector is host to dozens of initiatives to develop high-yielding crops, boost productivity, and increase access to markets. One of the major challenges, however, is the uncertain legal status of most of PNG’s land, which is governed by customary land rights for indigenous groups. Timber exporters are also suffering from bans on non-certified lumber imports in Australia, the EU, and the US. This section features interviews with James Lau, Managing Director, Rimbunan Hijau PNG; and Pedro Celso, Managing Director, RD Tuna, and Chairman, Fishing Industry Association PNG.