Report By Gerry Melican (Ranch Manager)

Trukai Industries has shipped three bulls to a church-run cattle ranch in Aitape, Sandaun Province, to beef up the ranch stocks.

One of the Erap Brahman bulls.

The bulls were shipped upon Consort Shipping vessel New Guinea Coast to Wewak last Saturday.

The bulls will be off-loaded in Wewak and from there travel by truck to the Raihu cattle ranch at Aitape.

The Raihu cattle ranch is operated by the Diocese of Aitape.

Ranch Manager Gerry Melican said he was keen to build herd numbers at the ranch and the first step was to source improved genetics.

This is because the ranch has not introduced any new blood lines to the herd for a number of years.

The ranch's remote location is one of its biggest problems, which makes transporting cattle very difficult.

Mr. Melican approached Geoff Fahey, Agribusiness Manager with Trukai Industries, to assist by supplying the bulls and John Sanderson, from Consort Shipping, to assist with transport.

The shipping company provided a special container for the bulls and loaded them onto the deck of the New Guinea Coast.

The voyage from Lae to Wewak takes three days and the bulls were accompanied by Raihu cattle ranch stockman, Peter Obom.

Trukai built a shade cover and also provided hay and other feed for the bulls during the journey.

Mr. Sanderson said while the shipping of cattle in this manner does not happen often, Consort realised the importance of assisting smallholder farmers to rebuild and improve their cattle herds and the company was more than happy to assist where it could.

"Assisting smallholders and the producers on customary land was a priority for Trukai Agribusiness. Trukai is committed to facilitating agricultural development and to rebuilding industries such as the cattle industry, which has declined over the last 25 years," commented Mr. Fahey.

In fact, there were approximately 165,000 cattle herds in Papua New Guinea upon Independence but this number has declined to less than 70,000 herds presently.

Trukai is assisting the industry by opening a new market such as the live export trade to Asia, by improving genetics, assisting smallholders with trucking and by consolidating cattle.

Mr. Fahey added that there was a significant opportunity to rebuild the industry and all of his potential was in setting up and re-estabishing cattle production units on customary land.

Trukai imports semen from the best quality bulls available in Australia and through artificial insemination uses this semen to breed superior bulls.

These bulls are then used in Trukai's own cattle herd and some are sold to other corporate owned properties.

One innovation Trukai has introduced is a bull exchange program where smallholders can swap their old bull for a new breed by Trukai with little or no cost for the change-over.

These bulls will provide a very sound genetic base for Raihu cattle ranch.

Mr. Fahey called on Agriculture Minister Matthew Siune to assist the smallholder cattle producers by restoring the abattoirs of the Livestock Development Corporation.

Mr. Fahey said it was vital that smallholder producers and those on customary land have access to public abattoir facilities in the Markham Valley.