Company shocked over sale of land

By KELVIN JOE
THE livelihood of more than 10,000 farmers in Kundiawa Gembogl and others in Chimbu that depend on supplying fresh produce could be affected after a piece of land in Port Moresby used by the district to operate its cold chain facility was sold, Agrotech Produce Limited (APL) managing director Paul Piru says.
Piru said Kundiawa Gembogl district development authority (GDDA) had invested K2.5 million to build a cold chain facility on a piece of land known as Section 159, Allotment Five at Eight-Mile for APL, the business arm of
the district, to store and supply fresh produce like cabbages, carrots and bulb onions among others brought down from Chimbu through Lae, Morobe, since 2021.
“We are shocked, aggrieved and disgusted after learning that Livestock Development Corporation (LDC) through a board decision had already sold off the land APL occupied which contains a cold chain and distribution facility which the district developed for the marketing of fresh produce at a cost of K2.5 million,” he said.
“The company was establish to support our local farmers in the district and the LDC action through total ignorance would totally affect the livelihood of more than 10,000 farmers in the district and many more throughout the province.
“LDC made a mistake to sell the land to an entity that does not deal with agriculture.
“The decision to sell the land and transfer of titles to the new owner must be rescinded.”
The land was previously known as Portion 68 and the lease was for agricultural and livestock purposes under the Department of Agriculture and Livestock (DAL).
APL, in a statement, said currently, the land was converted and subdivided into both commercial and residential leases under a joint partnership between DAL, LDC and a company.
“The district was reliably informed by the LDC managing director Terry Koim that the State lease title was transferred to the new owner after the sale was completed,” it said.
“Effectively, this means that the KGDDA and APL are now illegal occupants and face the imminent threat of a forceful eviction any time soon.
“KGDDA as a corporate State entity was fully aware of the law and therefore had sought approval from DAL through the office of the secretary and former Agriculture Minister John Simon before putting up the improvements.
“Even Prime Minister James Marape endorsed the decision of the DAL minister after seeing how serious the district was in promoting agriculture in the district when officiating at the official opening of the facility towards the end of 2021.”
Meanwhile local MP Muguwa Dilu said LDC management and board should have informed APL and KGDDA before they decided to sell the land.
Dilu said that LDC sold the land with full knowledge of the existing improvements, knowing that KGDDA had the financial capacity to buy the land and how important the facility meant to the general livelihood and welfare of the disadvantaged farmers in the villages.