Institute’s board sworn in

THE new board of the National Agriculture Research Institute (Nari) was sworn-in on Friday witnessed by Minister for Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology Wesley Raminai.
The ceremony took place at Bubia station outside Lae, Morobe.
The new board members, who took their oaths to serve before Senior Provincial Magistrate Pius Tapil, were: Prof Topul Rali (chairman), Yala Yatu (deputy chairman) and board members Maria Linibi (PNG Women in Agriculture), Ronnie Ilam (NGI farmers rep), Albert Veretau (Southern farmers rep), Nimo Walter Kama (Highlands farmers rep), Dominic Ira (Finance secretary for the Department of National Planning and Monitoring) and Warea Orapa (Nari acting director-general).
Members not present were Dr Ora Renagi (University of Technology rep) and Daniel Kombuk (Agriculture and Livestock secretary).
Raminai, who made his first official visit to the institution, said the event was small but significant.
He said the board comprised qualified and experienced members who would carry the Government’s agenda forward for improving agriculture and innovation in that industry.
“Prof Rali is an international acclaimed organic chemist and professor of chemistry at the University of Papua New Guinea,” he said.
“The new board members are made up of scientists, a lawyer, an educationalist farmer, women farmer’s rep and three agri-business operators on top of the required number of the ex-officio membership, all within the requirements of the new reform act we have.”