Morobe to fund new K1m research centre for NARI

Morobe Governor  Luther Wenge has pledged K1 million from the 2011 Morobe provincial budget for a new biotechnology centre to be built at the National Agriculture Research institute at Bubia outside Lae.

Mr Wenge said the centre would be named after NARI's current Director General Dr Raghunath Ghodake, who has been with the organisation since its inception in 1996.

"This biotechnology centre is a new initiative by NARI," he said at Bubia today.

"The centre will house general technology and specialised laboratories in the areas of pest and disease management and diagnostics, pathology and entomology laboratories, applied molecular biology including tissue culture and a post-harvest and food-processing laboratory.

"The biotechnology centre will house various offices for researchers.

"In addition, it will provide offices/rooms for the Geographic information Systems (GIS) and National Agriculture Information System (NAIS)."

Mr Wenge said applications of this centre included, among others, utilisation of modern technologies for faster and more-reliable identification of potentially-damaging pest and diseases and faster development of improved crop varieties, improved conservation and utilisation of plant and animal genetic resources in the country, and improved opportunities for value addition of food crops.

"Overall, this central facility will greatly enhance NARI's research for development capacity and provide support services to the agriculture sector in the country," he said.

NARI Council Chairman Dr John Kola gave a big vote of thanks to Mr Wenge for his support over the years, starting from 1997 when he fought tooth and nail against NARI's abolition.

"Thank you for your support since the beginning," he told Mr Wenge.

"When the Government wanted to abolish NARI, you, Governor Wenge, fought against it."