Transfer of price from consumer to coffee grower in Papua New Guinea

By JOHN FOWKE

Farmers across the world feel with justice that their cut of the total retail value of the crops they grow and sell is a small one.
A wheat-grower on the prairies of Canada, an apple-grower at Stanthorpe in Queensland, a coffee-grower in an isolated village south of Okapa in the Eastern Highlands; all are disposed to hold a grudge against “the middle-men.,” and few if any understand the nature and the truth of the chain of trade which begins at their farm or coffee-garden and ends with a consumer in a far-away land.
In the case of our 400,000-odd coffee-growing families, here in Papua New Guinea, who are the middle-men who handle the coffee they produce?



Coffee cherries in hand

 What do the middle-men contribute as coffee passes along the chain of purchase, transport, transformation into a consumer product, distribution, and ultimate sale in small units, in packets and cups, to consumers?
Is the coffee grower in PNG getting a fair share of the overall market value of his coffee? The short answer to the question is “No!”.
But our PNG coffee-grower is not alone.
The same answer – “No!”- applies to all coffee-growers within all the “origins”- all the coffee-growing countries, world-wide.

Coffee being sundried in the highlands

Here in PNG as in other “origins” the grower, the roadside buyer, the coffee factory, the transport and insurance companies and the exporters all together share little more than 12% of the gross value of coffee sold at retail in packets or in cups at shops around the world.
The coffee- importers who are the agents or the clients of our exporters make a margin of about the same size as our exporters and for this they carry the risk of loss or damage or spoilage in transit, for landing and clearing through customs and quarantine and then storage and delivery to the roaster who has ordered the coffee.

Coffee cherries

The importer is basically a risk-manager who must find substitute coffee which is acceptable to his client if something happens to stop the shipment from PNG or to spoil it or damage it in transit.
Many coffee-roasters insist in just-in-time deliveries so that they don’t have to support big stock-holdings, and this responsibility is also born by the importer who sometimes even supplies storage silos and conveyors, installed in a clients factory, and keeps them full 24/7.
The small shops and cafes make a relatively small amount.
A huge 80% is shared between the consuming country- based roasters and their marketing agents and the major supermarket chains.
For instance, our small grower out beyond Okapa will laboriously carry his dry “pasmen” (parchment) coffee, sometimes a foot-journey of two or three days because all the outer-district roads are in such bad shape, or are non-existent.
He will either sell it to a mobile buyer at nearest road-head, or pay a truck-driver to carry it to Goroka where he will get a much better price.
In Goroka, today, he may get around K7.60 to K7.80 per Kg. for his dry parchment.If he is registered with one of the organic or fair-trade marketing groups he may receive another 30 or 40 toea per kilo.
Most factories in the main centres pay a bonus to help cover the cost of transport, and our bush farmer will certainly make sure he gets this before he pays the truck-owner what is due.

PNG Made coffee products

As of this week he may have a little over K1000 for his three bags or 150 Kg. of dry “pasmen” to spend or take home with him.

This comes to a little over K7 per Kg. for his two or three bags of “pasmen.”
This year coffee prices are higher than they have been for 34 years- the coffee-boom of the late 1970s
A time when the hand-roads leading out to remote areas in the highlands used to light up in your headlights at night with reflections from all the broken, empty SP Brownies lying there.
Because his coffee is reasonably clean and dry the factory buyer has given our grower the best price he can.
Now the coffee will be hulled and cleaned for sale to an exporter as “green bean.”
In this process there are costs for labour, electricity and fixed costs. But there will also be a loss in weight corresponding to the weight of excess moisture, skin and dust plus any bits of foreign matter such as sugar-cane skin etc which all will be removed, thus reducing the weight of the finished product, but also making it more costly.
This cost will be governed by a typical-( for good, dry” pasmen”) 30% processing loss where the clean coffee is packed into 60 Kg. export bags and weighed.
Weighed out at 70% of the inward or “pasmen” weight, on a per-tonne basis, what was bought for K7, 800 for 1000 Kg. as “pasmen” is now reduced in weight and has cost K7800/700 being K11.14 per Kg as green bean.
The factory will now sell the green bean to an exporter in Goroka for around K13.00 per Kg. at current late-April market price.Thus the grower has made something over K7.00 per Kg. for his dry coffee delivered to Goroka, and the factory-owner has grossed K13.00 per Kg, less cost of coffee at K11.14 per Kg, being a gross margin less running-costs of K. 1.86.
The exporter who puts together shipments blended together to present an evenness of quality, packs the coffee, conveys it to Lae, insures it, pays the CIC levy and customs and shipping agency costs will make a net profit after all costs of around K0.25 per kilo or around K, 5000 per 21 tonne container.
At the other end of the scale we might be tempted when living in Australia as this writer does, to order some beautiful-certified organic fair-trade coffee from the Purosa area south of Okapa.
This is available from a number of online suppliers including COFFEE SHRINE of Melbourne who are asking a mere AUD44.00 per Kg. for the Purosa-sourced organic fair-trade product.
Now even allowing for the landed cost including sea-freight of about AUD0.9 cents per Kg, plus wharf and handling costs, coffee agents markup, delivery to COFFEE SHRINE’S factory, roasting-loss of about 20% in weight plus packaging, this is not a bad markup, is it?
The finished article will have cost no more than AUD 28.00 per kilo at the outside, allowing COFFEE SHRINE a gross profit of around AUD16.00 per kilo of the finished, roast and packed coffee.
Turn this into Kina and the figure is K42 per kilo, or six times as much as the grower back in distant Purosa received per Kg. for the raw product in the first place.
This gives a good idea of the way the total retail value of coffee is shared between the various elements in the chain of production, export, transport, import and finally roasting, preparation, packaging and sale at retail.
I have visited one or two of the shops allied with big world-wide charities which are large retailers of certified and fair-trade coffees. I have asked about the margins they make and have been told,” Oh, we keep our costs right down and use all our profits to support poor people in third-world countries.
My reply is along the lines of “Is it fair that an impoverished subsistence farmer in a remote area in PNG should be working to support other poor people in countries like Bangladesh and Sudan when he maintains a closely similar standard of living?”
The answer was to the effect that I obviously didn’t know what I was talking about.
This is the sad side of the currently-fashionable Gourmet/Sustainable Coffee market
Ostensibly humanitarian and very greenie/tree-hugger- orientated, it is in fact not at all efficient in terms of what it says it sets out to do.
Pandering to inner-city fashionistas’ fancies, this market may run for 10 years or so, but already it is under the pressure of the accentuated prices of this year.
Exporters are finding it hard to sell coffee loaded with an extra premium, and in less-profitable times growers tend to sell to whoever offers the best price, not necessarily a certified or fair-trade-linked buyer. In spite of these truths the fact remains that growers can achieve better prices more often than not by becoming certified and holding their coffee for sale to the relevant buyer.
If this sector was more practical it would work hard at getting interested growers to group, building both knowledge and determination so that they are able and willing to effectively lobby for improved roads, hire trucks and establish central storage sheds. They might then set up and maintain simple effective standards for quality, thus growing their reputations so that better prices are received over the long term.
The re-planting of all the old and partly-dead trees dating from the 1960s’ explosion of interest in coffee is another area where lively and well-directed grower groups may provide a much –needed lead.
One hopes all this will be accomplished under the new, generous and ambitious World Bank-funded coffee programme.

Ripe coffee cherries

This looks as though it is going to be business-like and work positively without re-inventing wheels, - ( many of them square wheels, anyway) - as so many consultancy and aid-driven coffee and cocoa projects have done over the past 20 years and more.
Good Luck, WB!!
Don’t forget that you are dealing with a multi-faceted subsistence system, not farming-as-a-business.
Motivation, aims and outcomes are not what you’d expect in, say Peru or Colombia where growers are small businessmen whose full focus is on coffee production as the one means to live.

Public servants have not got housing yet

By ISAAC NICHOLAS

THE Public Employees Association has raised concerns over the slow progress of the K38 million housing development package for public servants at 8-Mile outside of Port Moresby, The National reports.
PEA president Michael Malabag said after two years, only 10 houses had been built from the promised 200 houses per year.
Malabag, who is also the PNG Trade Union Congress president, stated in his correspondence with Department of Personnel Management (DPM) secretary John Kali, that since the government was advocating home ownership for public servants, the PEA must be more than convinced that this process would be transparent, affordable and within a specific period of time.
“I say this because when Peter O’Neill was Public Service Minister, he announced a housing development package of K38 million in partnership with Strongbond International to build 1,000 houses over five years or 200 houses per year,” he said.
“Two years, on only 10 houses have been built at 8-Mile and I have yet to sight the actual criteria, number of public servants who have applied.
“So naturally, I have a lot of reservation about the government role in this housing pro¬ject. I would appreciate some positive feedback from DPM otherwise, such housing projects will be very much questionable even with government subsidy of K80,000 per application.”
The PEA president said this in his letter responding to Kali after the salary fixation agreement signing on April 14 was aborted due to PEA’s opposition to the K500 one-off buy-out housing allowance instead of the K250 a fortnight claim by the union.
Kali had stated during the meeting that housing was not a condition of employment for public servants and that housing allowance was not a negotiable matter, and that the government would proceed with its decision to add K500 across the board to all salary scales.
“In regard to home ownership, I reconfirm that the government’s intention is to enable public servants at all levels to enter into home ownership through approved home ownership schemes as they are developed across the country.”
He said for this purpose, the government had approved home ownership allowances, which would be announced in due course.
Under the current housing agreement, the government would assist public servants with K80,000 to participate in a buy-back home ownership scheme with the remainder to be met by an individual through their superannuation savings.
Kali said 200 houses were being built at 8-Mile for public servants to apply and buy and more houses would be built under the scheme where Malabag had raised concerns on the snail’s pace of the scheme.

Motu-Koita leader backs Koiari locals

MOTU-Koita chairman Miria Ikupu has thrown his support behind the striking Koiari landowners, owners of the Rouna hydropower and Sirinumu dam in Central, The National reports. Protests by the villagers had stopped water and electricity supply reaching Port Moresby and the surrounding areas since Tuesday.
Services were reportedly restored by late yesterday afternoon.
Ikupu said in a statement yesterday that the national government had to honour the memorandum of understanding and memorandum of agreement signed over the years with the landowners who had, since World War II, sacrificed their land and resources for the development of the city of Port Moresby.
He said like the people of Motu-Koitabu, they continued to suffer on their own land with the government providing them with false hopes and promises.
“I am in agreement with what the Koiari landowners have demanded in their petition, but the demand for the government to pay K1.5 million is very little, a tiny drop in the Sirinumu dam, let alone the ocean, as this money should be a monthly payment compared to the PNG LNG project,” Ikupu said.
He said while he pitied the Koiari people and their plight, he praised acting Prime Minister Sam Abal for directing the reactivation of the inter-agency task force to address critical issues raised in the petition raised by the Koiari landowners.
The chairman said the LNG had taken precedence while the people, who have contributed so much in the enormous development of the city of Port Moresby and the country, had been given empty promises.
Ikupu called on the landowners not to give in to any sweet talks until and unless their demands were met.
“Likewise, as human beings and citizens of this beautiful country, we must have respect for mankind. It is about time the government introduces the Vagrancy Act which not only restricts the movement of people but make Port Moresby a peaceful city for everyone,” he said.
“The people of Koiari and Motu-Koitabu must be treated the same with other landowners in the country who enjoy gold, copper, oil and other resources because land, water and power are our only resources,” Ikupu said.

7.5% pay rise next fortnight for public servants

Department of Personnel Management and workers’ union to pen deal today


By ISAAC NICHOLAS

PUBLIC servants can expect their much-anticipated pay increase of 7.5% in their pay packets next pay day with housing benefits still a contentious issue, The National reports.
The pay increase will be backdated to January this year.
The K500 accommodation subsidy buy-out will be implemented by the Department of Personnel Management (DPM), but will not be included in the salary fixation agreement for this year to 2013 to be signed this morning between PEA president Michael Malabag and DPM secretary John Kali.
Malabag, in a letter dated last April 19, responding to Kali’s letter of April 15, stated that PEA had opposed the government’s “buy-out” of allowance plan which it viewed as inferior and was not in line with the union’s claim of K250 on top of the current K7 subsidy rate.
Malabag said: “I will take into consideration your letters stating that the government will proceed with its intention to apply K500 across the board to all salary scales and that the general order accommodation subsidy will cease forthwith, although it will not be included in this agreement.
“PEA will pursue this matter with the public service conciliation and arbitration commission with the intention of reaching an amicable resolution,” Malabag said.
He also welcomed the consumer price index (CPI) clause in the agreement, to be added as a protection against inflation projections, which was an added bonus on the salary adjustments.
“PEA is also satisfied with your offer of ‘recreation leave fares’ to be made available in full for public servants and their dependents.”
Malabag said both DPM and PEA must reach a separate agreement on other matters such as retrenchment and retirement, reduction of 35% tax on final payment of entitlements and compulsory life and health insurance cover and risk allowance.
“We commend you for creating and improving better terms and conditions of employment in the public service.”
The official signing ceremony for the 7.5% pay rise for public servants, slated for April 14, was deferred due to differences over housing conditions.
The government had approved a 6% increase with an additional 1.5% for productive performance. On top of that, the government had decided to make a K500 one-off payment in housing allowance.
However, the PEA had demanded a K250 fortnightly payment.
In his letter on April 15, Kali stated that because housing was not a condition of employment for public servants and an allowance was, therefore, not negotiable, the government would proceed with paying K500 across all salary scales and effective from the date of implementation, it would also cease the general order accommodation subsidy.
“This decision is of significant benefit to the lowest paid employee and should not be denied to them,” Kali stated.
The K7 allowance per fortnight for public servants had been in the general orders for decades.

Desecration of WW11 Coastwachers' memorials in Madang

By SIR PETER BARTER

Some of the bronze plaques on the Coastwatchers Memorial Lighthouse in Madang were stolen and taken to Lae to be sold as scrap metal.
Fortunately, the culprits were caught and one of the plaques (pictured) was returned to Madang where David Faithful, from Lutheran Shipping willingly cleaned and polished it up and it will be re-installed in the near future.
 Another plaque remains missing and I have requested requested any information that could lead to the recovery and re-installation in memory of the Coastwatchers who served in PNG and other Pacific Islands.

Eastern Highland students take to rice

By ZACHERY PER

STUDENTS attending Korofeigu Primary School in Lower Bena area of Ungai-Bena district, Eastern Highlands, had a rare experience in rice farming.

Pictures show Grades seven and eight students from Korofeigu Primary School at the rice field at Kinigito. – Nationalpics by ZACHERY PER

The opportunity was created for grades seven and eight classes by Kinigito Community Association just before the school closed for Easter break.
Teachers and students were taken to the Kinigito rice farm where they were allowed to harvest rice at the farm.
Each student was given a handful of rice seeds to be planted at their respective villages.
Kinigito Community Association secured funding from the Department of National Planning to venture into rice farming as a solution to food security problems.
President of Lower Bena local level government, Jerika Haki, emphasised that rice had become staple diet for the people.He said they want to ensure students mastered the art of rice farming so they could cultivate rice to cut down on the imported stuff.
“Food security for Lower Bena area has been one of our main priorities after experiencing drought, which saw us facing serious shortage of food,” Haki said.

“We are going into rice farming to help solve food security problems.”
Haki said rice could be stored for longer periods than other staple food crops like kaukau (sweet potato).
He thanked Kinigito Community Association for accepting the students to learn how to harvest rice at the farm.
“We gave each student a handful of rice seeds that they will plant in their own garden,” Haki said.
“After harvest, they will bring their rice to be milled at the association’s rice mill and will be given to them for consumptions. “
Alex Bare the technical advisor of rice growing with Eastern Highlands provincial natural resource division provided technical information on rice to the students.
Several students asked questions on rice growing that were answered by Bare.




NARI show set for next Thursday

National Agricultural Research Institute will be hosting its Agricultural Innovations Show at the Sir Alkan Tololo Research Centre at Bubia, outside Lae, next Thursday, May 5.

Model resource centre at the 2010 show.-Pictures by MALUM NALU

This day also marks NARI’s 14 anniversary.
The event is organised around the theme “Investing in Innovative Agriculture for Prosperity”.
“The theme reaffirms NARI’s view that progress through innovative agricultural development is essential if PNG is to realise Vision 2050 and become a wealthy and prosperous nation,” said NARI director-general Dr Raghunath Ghodake,
“The nation has the need, great potential and vast opportunity to prosper through innovative agriculture, and enhance the focus on investing in innovative agriculture.
“The theme is in line with NARI’s efforts to encouraging consistent investment in agriculture, particularly in research to develop technologies and innovations, which are crucial agents in innovative agriculture and rural development.
“With the economy projected to grow at 8.5 % and the LNG and other related projects coming on stream, PNG has a more-favorable environment and opportunities now than ever before for all stakeholders to make positive contribution to innovative agricultural development, in general, and to research, science and technology, in particular.
“Since its inception in 2007, the show has become an annual popular event to recognise and value the importance of innovations in agricultural development, and promote and create awareness on the significant role of research, science and technology in innovative agricultural and rural development.”

A heavy downpour didn’t deter showgoers at the 2010 show, as seen in this picture at the Brian Bell stall.

Chief guest of the event will be Paru Aihi, Minister for Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology and guest-of- honour will be Morobe Governor Luther Wenge.
“This year’s show will involve demonstrations and displays of materials and technologies,” Dr Ghodake said.
“NARI will also be officially releasing three improved technologies to the farming community.
“There will be a number of government officials and the private sector representatives and other stakeholders participating.
“Also participating and presenting their activities will be a number of research and development agencies, the private sector, educational and training institutions, extension providers, NGOs, and community groups.
“More than 10, 000 people are expected to participate in the event with plenty of information and knowledge-sharing activities.”

Showgoers at the 2010 show.

For more information, contact James Laraki on telephone 475 1444/475 1445 or email james.laraki@nari.org.pg .

Sogeri remains an absolute delight

By MALUM NALU

Sogeri, for many years, has been a means of escaping from the sweltering heat and scorched landscape of Port Moresby.

Laloki River at Sogeri

While Moresby is dry as a bone for over six months of the year, Sogeri, invariably, is moist and green and its mountain air cooler.
The mountains, foothills, forests, savannah woodland, rivers and streams have long captured the imagination of many.
It goes without saying that when one goes to Sogeri, one returns to the city very much relaxed, and reinvigorated.
Sogeri is a chance for residents of Moresby – often disparaged (rather unfairly) as one of the “world’s worst cities”- to get away from the stresses of the capital.
It is quite ironic that, 30 minutes drive from Moresby, can be found one of the many jewels in Papua New Guinea’s crown.

Flooded Laloki River cascades down Rouna Falls.

We owe Sogeri, and the local Koiari people, a big word of "thank you" as it is the Laloki River on their land that supplies water and electricity to Port Moresby.
In fact, the whole drive from Port Moresby to Sogeri, particularly from Bomana War Cemetery onwards, is spectacular and breathtaking, that I often why not that many people – apart from Kokoda trekkers and tourists – visit this part of the country.

Laloki River at 15-Mile.

I feel an attachment to Sogeri, as my father, the late Mathias Nalu, trained to be a teacher here in 1956 in the same group as Michael Somare, Paulias Matane, Alkan Tololo and other great men of the country.
Many close friends and family members of mine have attended the national high school at Sogeri over the years, an unforgettable experience.
Beatrice Grimshaw, the Irish writer, traveler and close friend of Sir Hubert Murray, the lieutenant – governor of Papua from 1908-1940, had a cottage built for herself overlooking the falls at Rouna, where, amongst other things, she might enjoy the “excellent health” that she had observed in the other white residents of the district
It was Grimshaw, in fact, who described Sogeri as “one of the most beautiful places in the world”- a view that any former national high school staff or student will subscribe to.
Last Friday, I travelled to Sogeri with Tanja Meijer, who had travelled halfway around the world from Ireland to revisit her beloved childhood home at Itikinumu rubber plantation.
With Meijer was Australian Alan Cullen, another child of the colonial era, who grew up in Port Moresby from 1950-1970, and for whom Sogeri was a playground.
All the way from Port Moresby to Sogeri, Cullen, 60, and Meijer, 51, point out their old stomping grounds like excited children.
We later enjoyed lunch and coffees at Kokoda Trail Motel, a delightful home-away-from-home overlooking the meandering Laloki River, that would test the best hotels in Port Moresby.
The Sogeri Road runs close to the Laloki River, between the twin spurs of Hombrum Bluff and Varirata, passing the popular drinking hole, the Bluff Inn, on the left.
A little further, on the right, can be seen the old tin smelter's works, set on the kunai-grass slopes a few hundred metres from the road.
Known as the Sapphire Mine after a nearby creek, this group of workings has also been called Errol Flynn's Tin Mine.

Remains of Sapphire Mine at 15-Mile, said to be stomping grounds of 1930s Hollywood star Errol Flynn.

Local folklore claims he worked the mine in the 1930s.
Lying at 600m and 46km inland, Sogeri is much cooler and greener than Moresby.
Sogeri Road leaves Sir Hubert Murray Highway near the airport and follows the Laloki River, climbing above the gorge with a view of spectacular Rouna Falls.
Soon after the falls, a road to the right leads to Varirata National Park.
There is some pleasant walking here, with a network of trails, grassy picnic areas and shelters with barbecues, and lookouts giving fine views to Port Moresby and out to sea.

Looking towards Port Moresby from Rouna.

Wallabies are common and birdlife is plentiful.
The next road left, marked by the Kokoda monument, goes to Owers’ Corner and the start of the Kokoda Trail.
McDonald’s Corner and Owers’ Corner, further in from Sogeri, have always been a favorite place for many residents of Port Moresby.
They are famously known as the beginning of the Kokoda Trail and are visited by hundreds of tourists, mainly Australians, every year.
Enjoying a cold beer after a hard couple of days on the Kokoda Trail has always been part of the routine for these trekkers.
A family picnic at Owers’ Corner under the blue sky, white clouds, majestic mountains and lush, green environment is a moment to treasure.
Crystal Rapids, where you can picnic and swim for a small fee, and Sirinumu Dam are along the next road right, or continue straight ahead to Sogeri.
Sogeri, in Kairuku-Hiri open electorate, supplies fruits and vegetables to local markets, supermarkets, restaurants/hotels and large companies throughout PNG.
The Pacific Adventist University (PAU) at 12-Mile produces quality farm products like banana, water melon, corn, aibika and pawpaw.
Sogeri Primary Produce located in Sogeri is the largest in the Pacific.
This modern hi-tech hydroponic farm grows and supplies lettuce and tomatoes to the city residents and mining, oil and gas companies.
Livestock and poultry is farmed and bred at various locations.
Koitaki Farm is the second largest cattle farm in the country.
It provides fresh beef carcass and meat supplies to the city freezers, butcher shops and the local market.
Boroma Limited at 14-Mile breeds and provides quality hog carcasses and Hagen Planters located at 15-Mile, specialises in piggery and ducks.
Hugo Canning Company located at 15-Mile is the supplier of Ox & Palm corned beef, Boston, Hereford and a distributor of Ocean Blue tinned fish.
Rubber is mainly grown at Itikinumu.
Coffee is milled by a nationally-owned company, Koiari Holdings, which manages and operate the only coffee mill in the the Southern region.
Vanilla is grown on small scale.
There is a prospective gold mine at Mt Bina in Koiari.
Landowners are in favour of commencing operations, whereas, other Koiari people are concerned about its impact on the Kokoda Track and the environment.
Sogeri National High School holds a special place in the education history of PNG.
The school began in 1944 when commander of ANGAU (Australia New Guinea Administrative Unit) Major General Basil Morris decided to set up a ‘central school for teaching natives various trades’ on Sogeri plateau outside Port Moresby.
Established at the former site of the 113 Australian Convalescent Depot, the school was blessed with mild climate and green environment that was a stark contrast to the hot and dusty Port Moresby only kilometers away.
The history of Sogeri has been recorded in a 342-page book titled Sogeri – The School That Helped To Shape A Nation by former schoolteacher Lance Taylor.
My father, the late Mathias Nalu, was in the last teacher-training course Sogeri would offer in 1956 and included a “top notch bunch of trainees”, which included Enos Baloiloi, Lohia Boganu, Vela Kila, Bobi Livinai, Paulias Matane, Aisea Taviai, Alkan Tololo, Ronald ToVue, Waterhouse Wai Wai and Michael Tom.
Michael Tom emerged from Sogeri in the 1960s as Michael Somare.
Teacher John Newnham recalls that the class of ‘56 was “an absolute delight to teach.”
Likewise, magical Sogeri remains an absolute delight, to this very day.

Laloki River at Rouna after cascading down the falls.

Papua New Guinea commits K10 million for Japan recovery

By PATRICK TALU

PAPUA New Guinea yesterday gave K10 million to disaster stricken Japan, The National reports.
Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Don Polye presented a cheque for the amount to his counterpart, Takekai Matsumoto, to help the Japanese government in its recovery process after the double disasters in March left 130,000 survivors homeless.
Polye, who flew to Japan over the Easter weekend, called from Tokyo on Monday night to say his visit was to officially convey condolences and sympathies for the relatives of 14,358 people who had lost their lives and 11,889 others who are unaccounted for in the earthquake and tsunami that struck the country on March 11.
Polye said he conveyed the condolences on behalf of the people PNG to the people of Japan and their government.
He told the Japanese PNG treasured its bilateral relations and would work to make it better.
“I have come here to show solidarity, goodwill that PNG treasures Japan as an important bilateral partner,” Polye said by phone.
“PNG is a close friend of Japan and as a show of friendship and solidarity, the PNG government has committed K10 million to help Japan recover and restore damage done to infrastructure and homes during the double catastrophic disasters in which more than 20,000 people have lost their lives.”
While in Japan, Polye also negotiated trade and investment opportunities between the two nations.
He reportedly made contact with Sanko-Bussan, a family-owned Japanese company engaged in the commercial fishing business which had agreed to build a loin tuna factory in Port Moresby while other investors had indicated to invest in clean energy, agriculture and technology sectors.
Sanko-Bussan operates a fleet of about 90 fishing vessels in the Pacific.
Polye, during the signing of the investment promotion protection agreement (IPPA) yesterday with his Japanese counterpart in Tokyo, invited potential Japanese investors to consider investing in PNG.
“This IPPA signing is timely and very significant as it protects the high profile of Japanese investments to grow in PNG.
“The IPPA is not a contractual obligation but it gives Japan the assurance and confidence that their investments in PNG are well assured, promoted and protected.
“The IPPA signifies PNG’s commitment to Japanese investments and gives them assurance and confidence that PNG is supportive and protective of their investments,” Polye told The National from Tokyo.
He said the second part of the IPPA signing was for a diversified area in particular tourism, fishery, agriculture, and information and communication technology (ICT).
Polye said the Japanese were interested in investing in agriculture, fishery, ICT and PNG government had to make their investment environment conducive for them.
“One of my aims is to attract more investments in PNG so that it helps our economy,” the Kandep MP said.

National Party vows to fulfil Teine’s dreams

THE National Party will fulfil the vision and dreams of its leader, the late Joe Mek Teine, president David Yak said yesterday, The National reports.
While expressing shock at the death, Yak said the passing of the member for Kundiawa-Gembogl would not diminish and discourage the party.
“Indeed, it should en¬courage the party to go out full swing in next year’s general election and win more seats,” he said.
He said this was the dream of Teine and the party executives and supporters would not let the dreams and vision set by their parliamentary leader pass away with him.
He said Teine had put the party in order and had been preparing the party policy and plans for the elections when he passed away.
Yak said the party executives and supporters throughout the country were in shock because they did not believe such a thing would happen.
He said Teine’s death was a big blow to the party and its supporters but that would not prevent his executives from carrying out the work he had initiated as parliamentary leader.
He said Teine was an honest, committed and dedicated leader, who had the heart to serve his people in the electorate, province and country.
Yak said Teine had a big vision to bring the party back to its old glory days.
His father had occupied the same seat for some time in the old House of Assembly 25 years ago.
Since Teine is a sitting MP, funeral arrangements will be done in consultation with parliament.
Meanwhile, Enga Governor Peter Ipatas and Public Service Minister and Esa’ala MP Moses Maladina have sent their condolences to the family and people of Kundiawa-Gembogl.
“I knew him as a hard working, honest, humble and a very committed leader who loves to serve the people not only from his district but the people of Chimbu and Papua New Guinea, his passing is a great loss to all of us,” Ipatas said from England where he is accompanying Governor-General Michael Ogio for his investiture ceremony.
“I extend my heartfelt sympathy and condolen¬ces to the immediate family members, relatives and people of Kundiawa-Gembogl, Chimbu and Papua New Guinea.”
Ipatas said it was a great loss for the people of highlands region as Teine made “significant contributions towards the legal fraternity, business, politics and governance of this country”.
Ipatas brushed aside rumours he had died as well.
People’s Party deputy president Douglas Makana Ivarato confirmed Ipatas had accompanied Ogio to England.
“It is rumours being spread by people with a vested interest,” he said.
Ipatas sent condolences as well to the relatives of the late Madang administrator Joseph Dorpar, who died during Easter weekend.
In his message, Maladina said: “On behalf of the people of Esa’ala, I would like to extend our great sadness over the death of a great man.”
He described Teine as “a good man, a peace-maker and God-fearing leader who had brought Chimbu together as one people”.
“The late Teine provided stable leadership to a province that has produced and lost some of our greatest leaders.
“We have now lost another great leader,” Maladina said.
Maladina said Teine and his team had been in the process of seeking people’s views and making major legislative reforms.
He said the death of the late MP was a set-back for the Law Reform Commission and called on the commission to complete the work started by Teine.
Teine collapsed at 10pm last Saturday and was rushed to hospital where attempts were made to revive him from an apparent heart attack.
He died at 11am on Monday at the hospital.

Port Moresby runs out of water and power, as landowners pull the plug

City residents warned of load shedding and water cuts


By ANGELINE KARIUS and SAMUEL RAITANO

PORT Moresby is bracing for the worst with Koiari landowners turning off the city’s water supply and shutting down all Rouna hydropower stations starting yesterday, The National reports.



NCD Governor Powes Parkop paying respect to Ruth Umuia, widow of late Umuia Koeari, who was killed at Hohola last weekend.

Koiari landowners, protesting the killing of one of their youthful leaders on April 19 and the attempted murder of another in 2000, demanded immediate payment of K1.5 million in compensation before the water and power are turned back on. PNG Power and Eda Ranu have begun advising the public of heavy load shedding and water supply restrictions affecting all parts of the city of more than 300,000 inhabitants.
While PNG Power conducts load shedding exercises on electricity supply, Eda Ranu will be restricting water supply to give a fair distribution of the limited amount of water available at the Bomana pumping station to NCD residents.
PNG Power has indicated the load shedding exercise will be carried out for an indefinite period until the power stations are reopened.
With the shutdown, PNG power can only generate 76 megawatts (MW) of electricity while the NCD’s demand is 94MW.
Eda Ranu can produce 60,000 litres per day from the Bomana pumping station, which is insufficient to meet the NCD’s demand for 145,000 litres daily.
In a city where water and electricity supply are intermittent at best, this action will create near panic situations in many parts.
Five clans of the Koiari people, who control the headwaters of the Laloki River and the land where the Rouna hydropower projects are located, yesterday presented a two-part petition to NCD Governor Powes Parkop demanding compensation for the death and attempted murder and for a negotiation of a memorandum of understanding.
The compensation component includes:

*K1 million for the killing of Umuia Koeari at Hohola on April 19;

*K500,000 for the attempted murder of Andrew Bali in 2000 at the Gordon market;

*All settlements within 20m of the killing apart from government offices be removed and the cost met by the NCD; and

*For NCD to meet cost of landowners for the duration of protest.

The landowners also demand that:

*Government releases electricity supply business back to the Koiari people;

*A significant equity in Eda Ranu is given the Koiaris;

*Government to seal all national and feeder roads in the area;

*PNG Power supplies power free of charge to all Koiari households and businesses and state institutions on Koiari land;

*A separate Koiari electorate be created;

*Parkop and MP for Kairuku-Hiri Paru Aihi establish a commission of inquiry into all traditional lands in Port Moresby; and

*Government to upgrade Iarowari High School to technical school.

Acting Prime Minister Sam Abal said last night that the government was prepared to discuss issues including equity participation in Eda Ranu and PNG Power, education and infrastructure but did not touch on the compensation claim.
Abal reactivated the interagency task force to be coordinated by the Department of the PM and NEC to address issues such as those raised by the Koiari landowners.
He said: “It is not wrong to petition the government regarding development issues. Some grievances are genuine which the government is willing to talk with the landowners but it is wrong to break the law to bring these grievances to the attention of the government.”
The acting prime minister warned the landowners of a standing 2006 restraining court order which may be served to prevent shut down of electricity and water installations.
Abal assured city residents that the government was doing all it could to restore electricity and water supply to the city.
According to chairman of the Koiari landowner group, Bagua Watti, until their demands are met, Rouna reservoirs 1, 2, 3, and 4 will remain closed.
He said failure by the government to honour the signed MoU had led to the existing land issues.
“We want answers before I hand over the keys to you (respective agencies). You better address these issues,” he said.
Parkop has assured the people that the commission would not hesitate to evacuate illegal settlers in the city.
He said the aim of his office was to beautify and create a peaceful city for everyone but, unfortunately, people had fallen victim to a minority.
“These senseless killings must stop,” he said.
Aihi, who is also Higher Education Minister, has assured the people that he would do his best to voice their grievances and bring their demands to the Somare-Abal government.
NCD Central command divisional commander Fred Shekiot confirmed that investigations into the killing were continuing.

Will the 2012 election be" same old, same old," all over again?

By JOHN FOWKE

I have two friends who intend to stand; one an ex-MP, the other a mature man with much valuable experience, but not politically-active in the past.
Both are graduates of UPNG.
I know their electorates reasonably well and find the prospect of their candidature very interesting and encouraging.
Both are honest and positive men with good track-records.
What will happen?
Is it likely that a solid and united block of idealists who are determined to return PNG to a land of fair-shares and opportunity- for-everyone will emerge and lead?
A group of MPs within which there is a determination to see that justice, good health and a basic education are available to all citizens?
Basic conditions in the world of 2012, and conditions which this society has a right to expect.
Conditions which may be provided in this increasingly-wealthy country?
How may such a trans-tribal, trans-provincial unifying representative group emerge and coalesce?
The Christians, members of a potentially trans-tribal interest group, have tried and failed.
One hopes they will try again.
Is my suggestion, made in The National newspaper late last year, regarding the adoption of the LLG system as the foundation of national politics worth consideration by intending candidates?
As is now widely-accepted, a "party-system" imposed upon a classless, landowning society has been an incumberance; a matrix for the rise of a dissatisfied and increasingly resentful electorate.
 In a society which has remained socially-classless and universally-landowning, with a commonality of interest and hope for the future, the first indigenous class to emerge and show its strength and influence as a unit above the commonality is the political class, which has appropriated much for itself to the loss and neglect of the mass of the people.
Even the best-known politicians have made statements recognising this as a problem.
How may a society which is completely divorced from knowledge and influence with the first indigenous social class it has ever seen, get out of the shadow of a shady and selfish party-system and into direct, positive, productive contact with its mausmen, its direct representatives, the MPS?
Is such a set of questions and considerations worthy of the attention of this blog's readership?

Wafi-Golpu mine by 2016, says Harmony

JOHANNESBURG: South Africa’s Harmony Gold expects its proposed new US$3-billion Wafi-Golpu copper-gold mine in Papua New Guinea to come into production in 2016, The National reports.
Now in pre-feasibility stage in a joint-venture with Newcrest Gold of Australia, Wafi-Golpu is set to follow Harmony’s Hidden Valley copper-gold mine that came into production last September, also in a joint-venture with Newcrest.
“Even at this early stage, we can confidently say that Wafi-Golpu is going to be a mine. There’s no doubt about it,” Harmony Gold CEO Graham Briggs tells Mining Weekly Online.
The US$3-billion price tag is linked to mining taking place at a rate of 20-million tonnes a year.
However, current thinking is that actual output using the block-cave mining method may be 30-million tonnes a year, which would increase the amount of capital required.
The JSE- and NYSE-listed Harmony is committed to providing half of whatever capital is required.
Harmony Gold’s financial director Hannes Meyer said the high quality of the grade was positioning Wafi-Golpu as a relatively low-cost future mining operation.
Total cost of mining is expected to be US$25/tonne, against expected revenue of US$100/tonne to US$300/tonne, which makes it a high-margin business.
“It’s really capital insensitive,” Meyer said.
By 2014-15, when Harmony will have to arrange the capital for Wafi-Golpu, its South African Phakisa, Doornkop, Kusasalethu and other local projects will no longer be requiring high levels of capital and will begin generating strong cash flows, which will be able to underpin the financial requirements of the project.
Also, Wafi-Golpu has significant copper, which Harmony may use for commodity-backed financing for the project.
Meyer envisages that selling a third of the copper could provide between US$500 million and US$1 billion in project funding.
The anticipated profitability of the business also provides scope for the introduction of considerable debt into the financing structure.
“Equity will be the last route that we’ll pursue. We’ll explore all other avenues before we dilute shareholders,” Meyer said.
Harmony’s Hidden Valley mine is expected to produce at a rate of 280,000oz per year for the next 14 years.
The Wafi part of Wafi-Golpu is a gold-only resource and the Golpu part is copper-gold porphyry.
Continual exploration drilling since 2007 indicated the potential presence of 38 million oz of gold equivalent, with recent drilling unearthing an 883m strike at 5g/t to 7g/t gold equivalent.

Customs raises K1.9 billion for state

By JUNIOR UKAHA

THE Papua New Guinea Customs Commission has raised more than K1.9 billion in duties for the national government last year, commissioner Gary Juffa said last week, The National reports.
Speaking at a media conference in Port Moresby, while officially launching the customs annual report for last year, Juffa said despite constraints like lack of manpower, the organisation had posted an extra K273 million (16%) in revenue for the state, surpassing the government’s forecasted target of K1.7 billion.
Juffa said this was an increase of K416 million (27%) compared to revenue collected for 2009.
“The increase in revenue collection is primarily attributed to the increase in international trade volume, and enhanced compliance strategies employed by customs,” he said.
He said the revenue came from import duties, import GST, import excise, export duties and local taxes including inland excise and sundry collections.
“I would like to thank my executives for a wonderful job last year which resulted in the organisation raising more revenue than what was expected by the government,” Juffa said.
He said customs, as the entity responsible for monitoring the movement of goods in and out of the country, “will continue to protect the interests of the country and its people by detecting and preventing contraband products and dangerous and illicit materials from entering the country”.
He said the work of customs was not limited to enhancing border security but involved in protecting the community, facilitating international trade and commerce and collecting government revenue and trade statistics.
Juffa said this year would see customs embark on a number of projects including:

*Recruiting more staff;

*Relocating its headquarters and Southern region office to a new location;

*Building institutional capacity through specialists training and strategic management;

*Installation of two new container x-ray technology at the Lae and Port Moresby ports to detect contraband and dangerous materials; and

*The introduction of a wide range of customs user-pay service fees in accordance with the CUSTA trust instruments.

Chimbui politician Joe Mek Teine and administrator Joe Dorpar die

Politician Mek Teine and administrator Dorpar die
By ANCILLA WRAKUALE

CHIMBU suffered a double tragedy over the Easter weekend with the deaths of Kundiawa-Gembogl MP Joe Mek Teine and senior public servant Joseph Dorpar, The National reports.
Both deaths occurred yesterday at the Port Moresby Pacific International Hospital.
Teine collapsed at 10pm last Saturday night and was rushed to the hospital where he was admitted at the intensive care unit where attempts were made to revive him from an apparent heart attack. He died at 11am yesterday at the hospital.
Dorpar, from Boko Kawa in Kerowagi, was staying at the Aku Lodge at Boroko when he suffered a stroke and was rushed to the hospital at about 4am yesterday. A relative said he was pronounced dead on arrival.
He said Dorpar came to Port Moresby last Saturday for a business trip and was to return yesterday afternoon to Madang, but died in the morning.
Dorpar was a senior public servant in Southern Highlands and was administrator of Chimbu and Madang provinces.
He is survived by his wife and six children.
Teine will be missed by the National Party of which he was parliamentary leader, by the PNG Law Reform Commission which he had served as chairman since September 2007 and by the people of Kundiawa-Gembogl, his Enduka tribe and his family.
Teine embarked this month on an extensive nationwide tour to gauge the views on sorcery with a view to drafting new legislation for it.
A relative said he had just returned from leading a delegation to Chimbu for two weeks and had been scheduled to go to Morobe on Friday but decided to stay with his family over Easter.
Teine was appointed to the post after Dr Allan Marat was elevated and appointed the minister for justice and attorney-general.
He was a lawyer by profession and a first-time politician although he had contested in many previous elections.
NCD governor and fellow lawyer Powes Parkop last night offered his condolences and sympathy to the family and relatives of the late Mek Teine.
Parkop said: “His death is a great loss to his family and relatives, to the people of Kundiawa-Gembogl and to the nation.
“In his life as a lawyer, he served our people well and, in his short term as an MP, he proved that he could also equally serve our nation as a politician.
“National Party has lost a good leader and the nation is poorer without the likes of the late MP who has had a great passion for our people and our nation.”
Teine was preparing his party policy statement to deli¬ver at a National Party meeting this Saturday.
His son Johnny will be graduating from the University of PNG this Friday.
Teine is survived by wife Dala and children Emmanuel, Julianne, Johnny, Quina and three grandchildren.

Need for farm mechanisation in Papua New Guinea

By SURYA NATH of NARI

Agriculture is an energy conversion system in which food, fibre, biomass for fuel and processing by-products are produced for consumption and use by human society.
A sufficient supply level of consumable products is necessary for the desired development and it can be achieved through enough supply of energy input and skilled man-power.
The agriculture sector which is the most important sector in Papua New Guinea has neither enough skilled man power nor energy input to realise the full potential of land and labour. Traditional method of farming using hand tools like bush knives, digging stick, axe and spade are common amongst rural population engaged in subsistence farming.
This practice has not been able to supply sufficient food in order to meet the growing food demand by an increasing population.
The energy input through tractor and other motorised source is unlikely to meet the demand in the near future because such machines are out of reach of subsistence farmers.
The utilisation of human energy in farming with improved appropriate technologies can provide partial solution; however, it is becoming clear that the rural population have given up toiling their land because of lack of support from the government.
This in turn has caused migration of rural people to urban centres and projects sites with the hope getting paid employment.
The energy input is estimated to be only 0.1hp/ha/yr (horse power per hectare per year) in the South Pacific including PNG.
The energy input in agriculture in other developing countries like India and China is 0.7hp/ha/yr which clearly demonstrates that agriculture sector in PNG is not getting its due attention.
There are some major constraints to effective mechanisation at subsistence level in PNG agriculture including: lack of credit, proper extension and appropriate technologies; lack of knowledge and skills in use, repair and maintenance of machines; lack of research and development on farm-mechanisation suitable for subsistence farmers; land being hilly and sloppy; and poor quality of imported machines.
It will be wise to tackle some of the constraints in order to realise meaningful mechanisation. Focus should be on the development of appropriate technologies which could make multiple cropping feasible, generate interest for labourers in producing, harvesting, processing, storing, transporting, and marketing.
The total area cultivated in PNG stands at 11.7858 million hectares accounting for cash crops (cocoa, coconut, oil palm, coffee, sugarcane) and food crops.
Banana, taro, sweet potato, yam and cassava are the major staple crops.
Production of rice is also picking up in many parts of the country.
Farm machineries available in the country are imported.
Tractors, soil preparation equipment, and harvesting and threshing equipment are reported to be the major equipments imported. Most of these machineries are destined to plantations and commercial farmers.
Subsistence farmers are completely left out from the use of machines.
This situation is largely due to lack of mechanisation policy on the part of the government.
It is recorded that about 5,000 tractors, 7,600 soil preparation equipments, and 6,000 harvesting and threshing equipments have been imported during 1996 – 2002.
This clearly indicates that machinery input is very low for crop production in PNG.
On the assumption that 4,000 tractors are working at any given time, the total power available will be only 240,000 kilowatt (Kw), given each tractor is of 60 Kw.
If 20 % of the land is to be made optimally productive, it comes to about 2.6 million ha.
A human being is rated at about 0.1 horse power (hp) and the minimum power requirement for an effective agriculture has to be 0.5hp per hectare per year.
Thus the required energy is about 1.3 million hp, which is equal to 1 million Kw.
Assuming that two million people are always busy in farming, the energy input from manual labor will be equal to 0.2 million hp which is equal to 0.154 million Kw.
The combined energy available from the tractors and human power is only 0.394 million Kw leaving a deficit of 0.706 million Kw.
The remedy of energy deficit of such magnitude is very difficult and it should be of concern to planners and implementers.
It is advisable that animal traction and two wheel tractors are in corporated in agriculture production system with appropriate technologies in order to boost the production to feed the increasing population.
The following are some of the areas that could be considered to improve farm mechanisation in the country: establishment of animal traction centre, establishment of agro-service centers throughout the country, establishment of curriculum in agricultural engineering and technology at tertiary level, establishment of division of agricultural mechanisation at national level, inclusion of agricultural machines related information in agricultural extension programmes, and exemption of tax on imported agriculture machines for subsistence farmers.
The above suggestions necessary to ensure agriculture production is maximised, and realise the agriculture potential that we have.
Improved farm mechanisation can result into:

• Increased productivity of land and labor

• Increased income to farmers

• Reduction in post –harvest losses

• Reduction in drudgery and back-breaking farm work

• Timeliness in field preparation and subsequent operations

• Precision in agricultural operation

• Improvement of safety of farm workers

• Improvement in working environment

• Respect to human dignity

• Increase in agricultural labor efficiency

• Intensive farming for all the cultivable land

• Creation of rural employment, and

• Availability of improved housing and sanitation

It can be concluded that farm mechanisation in PNG must be introduced at a pace that the farmers can use appropriate technology and simultaneously training and education is also pursued.
This way not only the productivity of land and labor will increase but will also provide employment in rural areas.

ANZAC Day in Madang

By PETER MEMAFU

ANZAC DAY in Madang commenced with a large turnout of more than 500 plus people despite an earlier freak storm and two heavy downpours.

ANZAC Day in Madang

People converged onto the Coast Watchers Memorial Lighthouse (otherwise known as Madang’s Kalibobo Lighthouse), including visiting Australians, New Zealanders and Papua New Guineans.
“Madang ANZAC Days are always the biggest gathering throughout Papua New Guinea"
 These were the remarks of the acting chairman of the organising committee, Richard Coleman.
"ANZAC day commemorates both WW1 and WW2 and it is a time when we remember those of our loved ones who fought in the war,” he said.
Rev Joseph Toua of the United Church in Madang opened the ANZAC Dawn Service with a prayer while Divine Word University's Fr Philip Smith did the Bible reading quoting the Book of Isaiah 49:1-6 and shared a beautiful sermon of our purposes in life and he made references to the earlier French explorers who thought PNG was the ends of the earth and named some of the famous landmarks called the Finnisterre Range (meaning the ends of the earth) and the Kalibobo Lighthouse
Br Andrew Simpson,  who represented Australia,  spoke of peace with direct references made to a song called “A Note to God” that was performed by Emamnuella Memafu before his brief remarks
“I’d ask for wars to end and for peace to mend this world," we part of the words of the song.
Maureen Hill, who is a longtime resident of Madang, represented New Zealand and was honored to speak about her heritage and continuous involvements with ANZAC and Remembrance Days over the years.
She also made references to the significance of Madang’s Kalibobo Lighthouse as well.
All ANZAC Days in Madang are usually hosted by the Melanesian Foundation and the Madang Resort Hotel and also with the help of other private sector groups that help provide the famous ANZAC Day Gunfire Breakfast.

ANZAC Day at Bomana War Cemetery

More than 1,000 people - one of the biggest-ever crowds seen in recent years, packed Bomana War Cemetery in  Port Moresby today for an emotional and moving ANZAC Day Dawn Service.

Papua New Guinea Defence Force soldiers at the Dawn Service

There were prayers, Bible radings, poem reading, ANZAC Day addres by the New Zealand High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea, wreath-laying, Ode, Last Post, Two Minutes Silence, Lament, and the National Anthems of Papua New Guinea, Australia and New Zealand.

Australian school students among those present at Bomana today

Port Moresby Returned Services League Port Moresby sub-branch president, Mick Pye, estimated a crowd of 11,000 people, many of them trekkers of the Kokoda Trail.

Rest In Peace

"The occasion was very good," he said.

Magical sunrise over Bomana

"It's a fantastic event that happens once a year and brings the bonds between Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea even closer."

Picture-perfect settings at Bomana War Cemetery

Sogeri, like every place you’ve never left

By MALUM NALU

Many rivers to cross…Tanja Meijer and Alan Cullen at the washed-out Laloki Bridge at Sogeri on Good Friday.-Picture by MALUM NALU

Tanja Meijer travelled halfway around the world from Ireland to revisit her beloved childhood home at Itikinumu rubber plantation at Sogeri, Central province, only to find her dream shattered.
It’s heartbreaking and paradoxical, to say the least, to be so near to Itikinumu at Sogeri, and yet so far away, as a heavy downpour on Good Friday turns the Sogeri-Itikinumu stretch into an impassable quagmire.
“It’s emotional and disappointing, as I came so close to Itiki (Itikinumu) and didn’t get there,” she laments.
“It’s very disappointing to be 15, 20 minutes away, but these things happen.”
Meijer, you see, spent the dream years of her childhood from 1962-1968 at Itikinumu, and has always wanted to follow the yellow brick road back to a place she calls home.
Itikinumu, in those far-off days, was part of the Burns Philps’ plantation empire, which spread all over the then Territory of Papua and New Guinea, including Sogeri.
Rubber, for those who came in late, was king in those days, especially in the Papuan provinces, particularly places like Sogeri, which had plantations like Koitaki, Javere and Itikinumu.
With Meijer on the 4WD Toyota Landcruiser belonging to Theodist owner, Kevin Pini, was Australian Alan Cullen, another child of the colonial era, who grew up in Port Moresby from 1950-1970 and has always wanted to come back to a place he calls home.
Pini and Cullen grew up together in Port Moresby, and while Cullen went finish to Australia, Pini stayed back and built a successful business which has become a household name in PNG, just like the late Sir Brian Bell.
Meijer and Cullen had been planning this trip for some time and to be turned away so close to Itikinumu, blame it on the rain, was most-disheartening not only for themselves but also those of us who accompanied them, Pini’s driver Hubert Begada, my son Malum Jr and me.

Tanja Meijer with (from left) driver Hubert Begada, Malum Nalu Jr and me overlooking the Laloki river from Kokoda Trail Motel.

They had been in touch with me about their trip, through social networking site Facebook, so when we met each other for the first time over dinner at Ela Beach Hotel last Thursday evening, it was like we’d known each other for ages.
There was a heavy downpour in the city that morning; however, as we drove out of town, the sun appeared in a rainbow of hope, only to disappear again as we neared Sogeri.
All the way from Port Moresby to Sogeri, Cullen, 60, and Meijer, 51, point out their old stomping grounds like excited children.
One of the most-touching moments is when Meijer sees her former primary “A” school classroom at Sogeri – which catered for children of expatriate planters - still pretty in pink after more than 40 years, and she cannot help but tell the driver to stop as she rushes out for a picture.
“All the classes were done in one room, because of four or five students in each class,” she remembers.
“That was the school.”
As we reluctantly turn back from the stretch to Itikinumu, the swollen Laloki River pours over the bridge leading to Sogeri, as we stand and wonder what might have been.
Over coffee and a sumptuous Good Friday lunch at Kokoda Trail Motel, Meijer pours her heart out to me, of a perennially-happy and romantic childhood beneath the rubber trees of Itikinumu and the Koiari mountains.
Cullen also chips in with his anecdotes of daring from then-sleepy, colonial Moresby, to a boys’ own adventure in the mountains of Sogeri.
Meijer’s father Bill Meijer was a section manager at Itikinumu from 1962-1928, starting from when she was a tiny tot at age two to a lively young girl of eight.
Her two sisters after her were born here.
“I lived up at the rubber plantation,” she tells me.
“That’s what I grew up with at Itiki.
“There was a complete factory at Itiki that did all the processing.
“We only came to Port Moresby to do our shopping, as well as go to the drive-in (theatre).
“Going to the drive-in was very much part of our lives then, as well as the Koitaki Country Club (at Sogeri), which is no longer there, and at which there was a swimming pool.
“I remember the rubber trees, getting up early in the morning and tapping rubber, how cool it was under the trees.
“There was polo cross and things like that, colonialist stuff.
“At that time, it seemed very normal.
“It’s only when you get back to Europe that you realise how different your life was!
“It’s (Itikinumu) a brilliant place to grow up.”
The young Meiyjr family left Sogeri, a place they had come to love and call home, in 1968 for Rabaul, where they spent a year, before returning to Europe.
“I always said I would be back,” Meijer says.
“After New Guinea, we went to Holland.
“In 1970, we went to Ireland.
“I went to school there, got married, and had three boys.”
The years rolled past, she found herself growing older, but the yearning for Itikinumu never quite left her.
“I can’t let go,” Meijer admits.
“It’s too good.
“That was the reason for coming here.
“Those were really good memories.
“It was a very different way of life.
“It was a very easy, laid-back lifestyle.”
For Moresby boy, Cullen, Sogeri was a frontier of adventure.
“We often came up here,” he recalls.
“It was always a good drive to get out of Port Moresby, and just muck around for the day.
“A lot of times, you’d come up to Crystal Rapids, Sirinumu Dam, along the dirt road from Moresby.
“This is very surreal.
“It’s like you’ve never left.”
All is not lost, however, and the Itikinumu dream may still come true for Meijer.
She flew with Cullen to idyllic Alotau, Milne Bay province, yesterday where they celebrate Anzac Day tomorrow as well as visit the historic Samarai Island.
They will return to Port Moresby on Thursday, and either that day or Friday, they are hoping for second time lucky at Itikinumu.
They have invited me to accompany them again, and so, I hope to be a bearer of good news from Itikinumu.

Squabble over funds tangles up sick people from Papua New Guinea

By Mark Metherell of Sydney Morning Herald
April 23, 2011

SERIOUSLY ill patients from Papua New Guinea, often with family links to Australians, have become the latest category of boat people facing official rejection from Australia.
The rising number of PNG nationals sailing to nearby Australian islands in the Torres Strait to receive medical treatment has generated a dispute between the federal and Queensland governments over who is ultimately responsible for the cost of their care.
Medical experts have warned that a failure to ensure proper treatment for the PNG patients risks leading to the spread of drug-resistant tuberculosis to Australia.
The number of medical evacuations of PNG nationals from Australian islands in the Torres Strait to Queensland hospitals more than doubled to 172 last financial year compared with the previous year, and the pressure on services has spurred a backlash from Australian citizens in the Torres Strait.
Following an ABC report about the planned shutdown of TB clinics in the islands, the federal and Queensland governments are denying responsibility for services. Each side has said in statements to the Herald that the other administration is responsible.
A spokeswoman for the federal Health Department said the Commonwealth ''does not direct Queensland in providing these services''. The extent of services ''has been a decision by Queensland Health''.
But Queensland Health says the federal Department of Health and Ageing had advised it ''to reduce services because it [the federal department] is unlikely to provide additional funds to cover the cost of full services''.
In a statement, Queensland Health said ''the provision and scope of health services for PNG nationals are Commonwealth government responsibilities''.
It provided the services to PNG nationals ''under the direction of the Commonwealth'', which contributed $4 million a year of the total $18 million cost of the services. These include a clinic on nearby islands such as Saibai, about 20 minutes' ride in a boat from the impoverished Western Province of PNG.
Dr Justin Waring, of the national tuberculosis advisory committee, has warned: ''In the short term, not treating these people who come across the water to Australia runs the risk of transition and escalation of the drug resistance and ultimately potentially putting Australian residents at risk.''
A Queensland Liberal senator, Russell Trood, who chaired an extensive inquiry into the Torres Strait Islands, said Australia faced a challenging dilemma in humanely treating the large numbers of sick PNG citizens who had few or no health services in their own country but were so near the medical services of Australia. Often these people have customary right-of-entry because of family links.
Senator Trood's committee was told that none of PNG's health sector indicators had improved since 2002.
The federal government had failed to take up the committee's recommendation that it ensure its funding to meet the costs incurred by Queensland Health.
''The Commonwealth seems to be turning its face away from a clear responsibility,'' Senator Trood said. ''We are talking about a relatively small amount of money to deal with a potential threat to Torres Strait Islanders.''
A federal Health Department spokeswoman said Australian state and federal governments, in consultation with PNG, were considering services being provided to PNG nationals ''due to mounting costs and concerns about the increasing impact on access to health services being voiced by Torres Strait communities''.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/squabble-over-funds-tangles-up-sick-people-from-png-20110422-1drgl.html#ixzz1KM2ZwpR4

Unity festival to run alongside 2011 Goroka Show

Goroka Show committee has indicated that it will host a national unity festival to coincide with the 55th annual Goroka Show in September this year.

After the success of the 54th show last year, and with overwhelming record number of bona fide tourists numbering up to 830, which came without much advertising and publicity, committee has indicated its intention to host the national unity show to showcase the strength and resilience of the people of Papua New Guinea as a nation and country which has been “United in Diversity” since Independence.
The theme also reflects the united nation that PNG is as we progress into the 2012 national elections.
Gideon Samuel, chairman of Goroka Show, said this concept had been discussed with the Minister for Arts, Culture & Tourism, Guma Wau, and a submission had been made to seek the endorsement and support of the ministry and the national government.
“The concept has been circulated to concerned agencies such as Office of Prime Minister, Chief Secretary, Treasurer and the concerned departments,” he said.
Committee thanked the government for committing K200, 000 to assist in the 2010 Goroka Show.
“The money will be used to offset bills and make strategic plans to ensure that the show is a permanent feature in the country, as the only and biggest agricultural and cultural show in the country,” Samuel said.
“At present it has been operating on ad hoc basis with generous support from various private sector partners.
“In line with the national unity festival concept, invitations have been sent to all provincial governments and all MPs of Eastern Highlands to organise and nominate a cultural contingent of no more than 30 persons to the national unity festival in 2011.
“This will feature the concept of national unity in PNG and will feature participation of all disciplined services, PNG Fire Service and the agricultural sector.
“It is proposed that the Prime Minister of PNG will be the guest of honor.
“ Past Guests and overseas dignitaries have included include Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward, Lord Mountbatten of Burma, various Governors General from Australia and PNG, and prime ministers Sir Julius Chan, Sir Rabbie Namaliu, Sir William Skate and Paias Wingti”.

Fight continues to contain potato diseases

By JAMES LARAKI of NARI

Efforts by the National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) to address the potato late blight (PLB) disease which completely wiped out the industry in Papua New Guinea in 2003 is continuing with the evaluation of PLB-resistant varieties sourced from the International Potato Centre (CIP) in Peru.

 Okapa harvest… Farmers harvesting potato in a NARI evaluation trial in Okapa, Eastern Highlands. – Pictures by DAVID MINEMBA

The disease, caused by the fungus, Phtopthora infastans, remains a concern to the potato farmers, especially in the highlands where the crop is usually grown.
The fungus is a specialised pathogen of potato and, to a lesser extent, tomato which comes from the same plant family.
Late blight is an extremely destructive fungal disease of potatoes.
The fungus attacks both tubers and foliage at any stage of development and is capable of rapid development and spread.
It was responsible for the devastating Irish potato famine of the 1840s and has continued to be important to the present.
Since the Irish famine, late blight became the most-studied potato disease in the world.
Intense studies on the disease led to successful development of control methods such as the chemical fungicides and late blight-resistant varieties.
Late blight is still a terrible crop killer, striking fear into the hearts of potato growers worldwide. Late blight destroys an estimated 15% of the annual potato crop worldwide; in developing countries alone the disease costs about US$3.25 billion per year in lost production.
The late blight fungus has the power to appear out-of-the-blue and wipe out countries'’ entire potato industries in a few weeks.
In 2003, it destroyed the potato industry in PNG, then worth around K25 million.
Previously free of the disease, the country was one of the world's few remaining safe havens for growing potato.
It is believed to have come across from the neighboring Irian Jaya, Indonesia.
Within a short period of time, the fungus spread fast throughout the country after it was first discovered in Surunki, Enga province in March, leaving a trail of destruction.
Yield losses caused many smallholders, who relied on potato as a valuable cash crop, to withdraw from production, leading to an increase in potato prices in the country.
Some breakthrough has been made to control PLB using fungicides, however, the extra input is a burden to smallholder growers and identifying suitable varieties looks to be the long-lasting solution to revive the potato industry.
Subsistence farmers, making up the majority of farmers in PNG, rely on potato as an important cash and food source.
For some smallholders it was their main crop until the 2003 outbreak.
NARI PLB project leader, David Minemba, told visitors to the NARI Highlands Regional Centre field day recently in Tambul, Western Highlands that his team is working around the clock to identify suitable varieties to deal with the PLB problem.

E2 field…Potato field at NARI Tambul of the E2 clone, one of the CIP clones that is expected to be released by NARI to the farming communities next month.

Minemba noted that the famous Sequoia variety is still susceptible to PLB and only well-to-do farmers were growing this variety as they had the capacity to meet the additional input required. The devastating late blight disease has prevented smallholder farmers in PNG from growing the popular potato variety Sequoia.
Seed potatoes, fertiliser and fungicides are expensive and weekly fungicide sprays are now needed to make this variety productive.
Fresh Produce Development Agency, with input from NARI, has been successful in laying the foundation for rebuilding PNG potato industry through the delivery of supplies of quality seed and through village extension worker training activities, which have involved some 2, 500 smallholders.
However, at present, potato production in PNG is generally limited to a relatively small number of commercial growers who have access to land, backpack sprayers, chemicals, and seed potatoes and are growing the highly-susceptible cultivar Sequoia.
Minemba says the average farming households cannot affordable to grow the traditional variety as it is expensive and the PLB project is trying to identify resistant varieties with these farmers in mind.
Potato is not only a commercial crop but is also a source of food next to kaukau (sweet potato), particularly in the high altitude highlands region of PNG where the choice of staple food is limited.
NARI sourced 36 CIP clones in 2003 and evaluation work has been undertaken at various locations where the crop is grown.
Out of these, 12 clones were identified and further evaluation has been undertaken under the PLB project supported by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research Centre (ACIAR).
The objectives of the project are to introduce, multiply, evaluate and deploy late blight-resistant clonal material into PNG and to develop safe, cost-effective integrated late blight management strategies for existing and new potato cultivars and ultimately to rehabilitate potato production for smallholders.
This evaluation process has further identified four varieties to be promising and further evaluation work has been undertaken throughout potato-growing areas in PNG.
Minemba says with the farmers’ desire for the crop and food security in mind, his team will soon recommend two of the four promising varieties to the farming communities while work on PLB continues.
The institute is expected to officially release the two promising varieties to the farming community next month during its Agricultural Innovations Show with the aim of assisting smallholder farmers to grow the famous crop once again.

Sliding down 14-Mile way

Chimelen Kametan (front) and Aikeya Parkop riding the new waterslides to the amusement of NCDGovernor Powes Parkop and other guests at yesterday’s opening of the new facilities at the 14-Mile Park. The facilities are a must for children, and yesterday’s opening came at the perfect time, just before the long Easter weekend. – Nationalpic by EKAR KEAPU