The Papua New Guinea government is planning to contract freighter aircraft as part of its 'Agriculture in Aviation' project.
International airport in Port Moresby Photo: Supplied
National Department of Agriculture and Livestock acting secretary, Daniel Kombuk, said the planes would provide farmers with a guaranteed market and a better price for their produce.
Mr Kombuk said he was thinking big with a focus on exporting directly to cities like Singapore, Hong Kong, Beijing, Jakarta and Tokyo, as well as the domestic market.
PNG needed to wake up to the opportunities of providing other reliable food, not just coffee, oil palm, copra or cocoa.
Mr Kombuk said using aircraft was the trigger to get farmers to engage more fully in agriculture, and especially horticulture.
The Department had negotiated for a Boeing 737 freighter to service the Manila - Komo - Brisbane - Komo - Manila route to ensure PNG's farm produces can transit through Manila and Brisbane to other destinations, he said.
Another aircraft, an Antonov, could fly the Hagen, Goroka and Rabaul route to bring the produce to the export points.