Zifasing, Markham Valley, Morobe, Friday, September 5, 2025 – Ramu Agri Industries Ltd (RAIL) and Markham Farming Company Ltd (MFCL) have committed their full support to the Zifasing Village Oil Palm (VOP) Project, calling it a historic development that will transform the Markham Valley into one of Papua New Guinea’s new frontiers for oil palm.
Speaking at the official launching, RAIL and MFCL General-Manager Eric Wise said the companies stood ready to assist landowners and families in Zifasing and surrounding communities to ensure the project succeeds.
“We as a company are giving you 100 percent support to see this project kick off and go forward,” Mr Wise said. “We already have 5,000 hectares passed under the European Union Deforestation Regulation and new planting procedures, so we are only waiting for you to tell us when we can come in to assist you to plant. This project will benefit the whole community — your income will improve, your living standards will rise, and the Markham Valley will become a major oil palm hub for Papua New Guinea.”
Wise acknowledged the vital role of the Oil Palm Industry Corporation (OPIC), the national government, and his own field teams in laying the groundwork for the project. He particularly thanked MFCL Senior Estate Manager Nache Seenivasan, describing him as someone “always pushing every day to get this project off the ground.”
In his remarks, Mr Seenivasan reflected on his long association with the Markham Valley and expressed deep confidence in its potential as an oil palm-producing region.
“I came here in 2012 and from the first moment I saw this valley, I knew it was perfectly suited for oil palm,” he said. “That is why I never had the heart to leave. Since 2014 we have been steadily developing Markham Farm, and today we see how well the palms are growing. This whole plain is the future of oil palm in PNG.”
Seenivasan, who has more than 45 years of experience in the industry, outlined MFCL’s guiding theme: “Care to nourish and dare to flourish.”
“We want to nourish all our farmers with knowledge, training, and support, so that they can flourish together with us. If the company flourishes, the farmers flourish too. That is our aim.”
He also highlighted ongoing efforts in partnership with OPIC to build roads, bridges, and culverts to support crop evacuation, noting that infrastructure development was essential to sustaining growth.
Both executives underscored that the Zifasing VOP Project was not just about planting oil palm but about empowering rural families, unlocking land potential, and strengthening PNG’s economy.
“This is a beautiful beginning,” Mr Seenivasan said. “With the support of government, OPIC, and our own teams, we will help more farmers flourish, and we will make the Markham Valley one of the country’s great success stories.”
The launch of the 5,000-hectare Zifasing VOP Project has been described by leaders as a turning point for Morobe Province, aligning with the government’s wider targets for agricultural diversification and rural development.
ENDS