Esso works the land
By BOLA NOHO
By BOLA NOHO
ESSO Highlands Limited, operator of the PNG LNG project is developing agriculture-based ventures to support economic development in the project impact communities.
The four agriculture projects the LNG developer is embarking on are underway in Hides, Hela Province, Omati, Gulf Province and LNG plant site project areas in Central Province.
The developer is supporting local communities in Hides to grow fresh produce and poultry projects for home consumption and to help increase the existing production for the local market to meet growing demands for both products.
Esso Highlands Limited said in the PNG LNG quarterly environmental and social report for the first quarter of this year that it continues to recognise agriculture as being a major component of the livelihoods of PNG’s rural communities.
According to the report, the project has worked with more than 600 women from Komo and Hides Women’s Associations and has opened opportunities through established channels for selling the produce to the project camps.
The project has also helped the women in Kikori area to form a company called Delta Green Field Marketing Limited to expand their supply to the project camps through organisational capacity building, agricultural training and construction of a nursery to supply seedlings to more than 500 women in the villages including Omati, Baina, Kaiam, Turama, Kibeni and Gibidai.
The report pointed out that at the LNG plant site, the prevailing agricultural conditions are conducive to produce fruits and nut trees therefore the project has teamed up with Cashew International Limited to support cashew production in the area.
This involves 10 trees being provided to each household to encourage the establishment of cashew orchards.
The harvested nuts will add to the incomes of every household in especially December and January of each year when school fees for children in schools become are a heavy burden on many household budgets.
The four agriculture projects the LNG developer is embarking on are underway in Hides, Hela Province, Omati, Gulf Province and LNG plant site project areas in Central Province.
The developer is supporting local communities in Hides to grow fresh produce and poultry projects for home consumption and to help increase the existing production for the local market to meet growing demands for both products.
Esso Highlands Limited said in the PNG LNG quarterly environmental and social report for the first quarter of this year that it continues to recognise agriculture as being a major component of the livelihoods of PNG’s rural communities.
According to the report, the project has worked with more than 600 women from Komo and Hides Women’s Associations and has opened opportunities through established channels for selling the produce to the project camps.
The project has also helped the women in Kikori area to form a company called Delta Green Field Marketing Limited to expand their supply to the project camps through organisational capacity building, agricultural training and construction of a nursery to supply seedlings to more than 500 women in the villages including Omati, Baina, Kaiam, Turama, Kibeni and Gibidai.
The report pointed out that at the LNG plant site, the prevailing agricultural conditions are conducive to produce fruits and nut trees therefore the project has teamed up with Cashew International Limited to support cashew production in the area.
This involves 10 trees being provided to each household to encourage the establishment of cashew orchards.
The harvested nuts will add to the incomes of every household in especially December and January of each year when school fees for children in schools become are a heavy burden on many household budgets.
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