PNG Ports Corporation Ltd has provided K50,000 to support the 63rd Morobe Provincial Show, reinforcing the port operator’s ties with agricultural producers, businesses and communities across the region.
PNG Ports director George Gware presented the sponsorship cheque to Morobe Show Committee president Hans Mehl on Thursday. The annual event will be held at the Lae Showgrounds on 24 and 25 October.
Gware said the sponsorship recognised the importance of the industries and communities that depend on Lae Port to transport goods and products to domestic and international markets.
“Many of the farmers, producers and businesses exhibiting at the Morobe Show rely on Lae Port to bring in the goods they need and to move their products to domestic and international markets. When they succeed, the region succeeds,” he said.
He added that the sponsorship aimed to strengthen PNG Ports’ connections with Morobe, the wider Momase region and the Highlands, recognising their contributions to the national economy.
Lae Port is Papua New Guinea’s largest port and a major trade gateway for Morobe Province and the Highlands region. In 2024, it handled about 60% of the country’s imports and 55% of its exports, serving as the primary export port for commodities including coffee, cocoa and gold.
The port supports an estimated K11.2 billion in economic activity annually across the regions it serves.
Organised by the Morobe Province Agricultural Society Inc., the Morobe Show is one of Papua New Guinea’s major agricultural, cultural and commercial events. It brings together exhibitors, businesses, schools and visitors from Morobe, other Momase provinces, the Highlands and beyond.
Mehl welcomed the sponsorship, saying the event provided an opportunity for communities and businesses to showcase their cultures, agricultural products and achievements.
“The Morobe Show is more than an exhibition; it is a gathering that celebrates our diversity and the contributions people make to their communities and the nation,” he said.
“Support from organisations such as PNG Ports is important to sustaining an event that brings together agriculture, business and culture.”
PNG Ports is the state-owned national ports authority, managing 15 of Papua New Guinea’s 23 declared ports. Its facilities handle more than 5.8 million tonnes of cargo annually, accounting for all of the country’s seaborne trade.
The corporation provides port services including berthing, wharfage, storage, pilotage and harbour management, supporting domestic and international trade across the country.
