South Pacific Brewery (SPB) stands by its’ vision to improve livelihoods in Papua New Guinea (PNG).
Aligning with the Company’s Vision to ‘Brew A Better PNG’ the Company is committed to supporting communities through its’ Community Social Responsibility (CSR) activities, especially at a time when many Papua New Guineans are being hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.
With COVID-19 infiltrating PNG’s borders; and, consequently, a State of Emergency (SOE) imposing liquor restrictions in most parts of the country, beer sales and cassava production at SPB’s Cassava Erap Factory, were grounded for three months. This had a huge impact on the business but didn’t dampen the Company’s CSR efforts.
SPB ensured its 72 local smallholder farmers, from four partnering villages in the Markham Valley, were taken care of, while crops farmed by the Company were put to good use.
The Company honoured its’ initial arrangement with the local farmers by purchasing 291 tonnes of cassava root crops at a total cost of K35,0610 from the small holder farmers. Due to the suspension of the Cassava Factory, the root crops were retained by farmers for their personal use – either for own consumption or to sell at their local vegetable markets. A big win for the farmers.
Three public institutions in Lae, Morobe Province, also benefitted from the Company’s goodwill during the COVID-19 SOE.
From our Factory Nursery, a total of 4.4 tonnes of cassava was harvested and distributed to the Angau General Hospital, Buimo Correctional Service and to the Department of Agriculture & Livestock at the University of Technology at the end of June 2020. The break up:
- ANGAU General Hospital received 1.5 tonnes to help feed patients
- Buimo Correctional Service received 1.6 tonnes of cassava roots to supplement their food supplies for both CS staff and inmates
- University of Technology Farm received 1.3 tonnes, which was used as additional livestock feed
The donations were received with gratitude from all three institutions.
