The new board of the National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) have been sworn by the Minister for Higher Education and Sports, Wesley Raminai, The National reports. The ceremony took place at Bubia station outside Lae and witnessed by senior provincial magistrate Pius Tapil.
Raminai said the board was made up of qualified and experienced members who would carry the government’s agenda in improving agriculture and innovation forward.
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.
– Minister Wesley Raminai
The new board members are:
| Professor Topul Rali | Chairman |
| Yala Yatu | Deputy Chairman |
| Maria Linibi | PNG Women in Agriculture |
| Ronnie Ilam | NGI farmers’ representative |
| Albert Veretau | Southern farmers’ representative |
| Nimo Walter Kama | Highlands farmers’ representative |
| Dominic Ira | Finance secretary, Department of National Planning & Monitoring |
| Warea Orapa | NARI, acting Director General |
| Dr. Ora Renagi | University of Technology representative |
| Daniel Kombuk | Agriculture and Livestock Secretary |
Renagi and Kombuk were not present at the ceremony.