Rigo Rice project to bring maximum benefits to landowners

Landowners of the Rigo Rice Project in Central province want their land given to the state to benefit them over the duration of the business venture.

The customary proprietors from the Talova clan of Niuiruka in Rigo also demand that the land be returned once the project ends.

They are concerned due to past experiences where portions of their land taken by the state under the 99-year lease arrangement had never been given back.

Clan leader Dauma Kimali said this new agreement undertaken to bolster Rigo Rice development must benefit them and deliver positive outcomes in their community as well as the district.

“All those years we became victims to our own land,” Kimali said during the agreement signing.

“Through the Rigo Rice project and the plan of the Rigo District Development Authority and the Minister [for Planning] Sir Ano Pala, we pursue this new agreement that we know we're going to give our land to the state, and we will benefit.”

According to the local member and Minister for Planning, Sir Ano Pala, they are not sure of the timeframe of this project but anticipate great benefits.

Sir Ano echoed these sentiments during the signing of the rice growers Land User Agreement between the landowners and the Rigo rice company in Port Moresby last Friday.

He informed landowners that this project aims to bring maximum benefits to all parties involved and the agreement signed with the locals will also pave way for them to own a share of the business.

“It is a big step because for the first time, the landowners on their land are making money, or going to make money,” Sir Ano said.

“You are not giving away your land to somebody and they come back and give you some money after they make money.

“You are partnering with the company so that after every harvest you sit down together and then you share your rice [money] according to this agreement.”

The Rigo MP emphasized that the government had good intentions for this first ever large-scale rice project to be a model for other districts in the country where land can be provided for development under similar arrangements as Rigo Rice Project.

Rigo Rice managing director Jeffrey Kennedy thanked the landowners for their understanding and said that with this final step progressed, the company looks forward to starting implementation in the next two months with first rice harvest expected to be around October.

Kennedy also praised Rigo DDA for supporting the project with a K2m funding purposely for infrastructure developments.

“Rice farming needs a lot of infrastructure such as roads and irrigation and I'm very pleased to say that Rigo DDA has approved to support in terms of providing the funding for roads to be done, irrigation to come in,” Kennedy said.

“The roads will also benefit the villages and also benefit the rice farming so we can bring in equipment, farm the rice and take the rice out.”