In praise of the humble potato

Two of the new potato screen houses at Tambul, Western Highlands province
Fresh Produce Development Agency potato garden at Tambul
Potato growing at Tambul
Inside one of the new potato screen houses at Tambul

The importance of the potato industry in Papua New Guinea has been stressed in no uncertain terms.

Potato’s virtues were extolled in the country’s potato capital of Tambul, Western Highlands province, during Tuesday’s opening of Fresh Produce Development Agency’s 12 new potato screen houses there.

The aphid (potato pest)-proof houses, valued at K50, 000 each, were funded by the national government’s public investment programme (PIP).

They are situated next to the National Agriculture Research Institute’s high altitude programme at Tambul.

The 12 new screen houses add to the existing 12 and will be a major boost to PNG’s K100 million potato industry as it makes a comeback from the devastation of the notorious Potato Late Blight Disease of 2003, which almost destroyed the industry in the country.

Potato plantlets from the tissue culture laboratory at Aiyura Valley in the Eastern Highlands province will be taken to Tambul, where they will be grown in the screen houses before being distributed to farmers.

This technology allows FPDA to produce disease-free seedlings which can be rapidly multiplied before being distributed to farmers.

Tambul potato farmers’ representative Philip Talopa said the potato industry was one of the larger agricultural industries that could be worth K100m or more.

“We have 52 seed growers in the Highlands, 30 of whom come from Western Highlands province and the majority comes from Tambul,” he told hundreds of people who gathered at Tambul, beneath majestic Mt Giluwe, on Tuesday.

“Tambul produces about 75% of potatoes in PNG.

“Other major areas of production include Okapa and Daulo in Eastern Highlands, Gembogl in Simbu province, Upper Ialibu in Southern Highlands and Kandep in Enga.

“Tambul, however, is the backbone of the potato industry in Papua New Guinea.

“In good times, and in bad times, we fall back on potato.

“We now have 12 new potato screen houses at Tambul, which added to the existing 12, makes for 24 altogether, at which plantlets from Aiyura are grown before being distributed to farmers.

“FPDA and NARI now have an agreement, and they are producing more plantlets.

“We at Tambul are the engine room of the industry.

“We will now be able to produce more seeds.

“We don’t have any other major cash crops, apart from potato.

“We have the right climactic conditions here to be able to mass-produce seeds for distribution to farmers.”

Mr Talopa wants the government to stop imports of potatoes to give a chance to local farmers to develop the industry, government to subsidise costs of chemicals and fertilisers, and frost-resistant varieities of potato to be developed as Tambul and other high-altitude areas that grow potatoes are prone to frost.

Agriculture businessman and strong potato advocate Grame Ross, of Alele Farm Fresh Produce, said potato had the best returns in agriculture with an 86% profit margin; the industry was worth over K100m and was a guaranteed source of food security.

“The potato, according to experts, is the crop with the best return in Papua New Guinea.,” he said.

“We have a big need for quality seeds in PNG.

“Many people in PNG are crying for quality seeds.

“These new screen houses are a big step forward.

“Before 2003, we were importing a lot of seeds from Australia.

“Today, we are independent in seed production.

“Papua New Guinea can do it.

“We don’t have good distribution.

“You Tambul have good supply.

“There must be equal distribution in Papua New Guinea.

“The seed industry is a new one which can be worth up to K46m annually.

“There is an urgent need for training, especially in such areas as safety when using chemicals.

“Potato is a big deal.

“It is disease-free and nutritional.

“This will create family values in PNG.”

Eastern Highlands agricultural advisor John Sari said potato was the best bet for farmers in high-altitude areas of PNG.

“Tambul has the ideal climate or growing potatoes, being situated 2,000m above sea level, where coffee doesn’t grow well,” he said.

“There is now light at the end of the tunnel.

“Potato will one day beat coffee and cocoa.”

Five Papua New Guineans secure UK scholarships

2008/09 UK Chevening scholarship recipient Mellie Samson (in blue shirt) who returned from the UK on Friday after completing his masters in conservation science briefs the departing scholars. Next to him is Deborah Kakis, Reichert Tanda and facing him is Rosemary Benjamin, Junior Novera and Erick Kowa during an induction programme at the British High Commission in Port Moresby. BHC scholarship officer Kila Kome is sitting next to Mr Tanda.

Papua New Guinean scholars (L-R) Junior Novera, Rosemary Benjamin, Deborah Kakis, Reichert Tanda and Erick Kowa who are successful recipients of the 2009/10 Chevening, Steamships Chevening and Commonwealth scholarships in the UK. Behind them is Steamships general manager (business development) Gary Seddon and British High Commissioner to PNG David Dunn.

Five Papua New Guineans have secured UK Government educational scholarships to study in the United Kingdom.
In a first for PNG, one of the scholars, Junior Novera, is the inaugural recipient of the Steamships Chevening Scholarship a partnership between the Steamships Trading Company Limited and the UK Government.

Junior will be studying for a masters degree in conservation biology and wildlife management at Lancaster University.
The other recipients, awarded scholarships under the Chevening and Commonwealth Scholarship Programmes include Erick Kowa, who will study energy futures at the University of Aberdeen and Rosemary Benjamin who will study biotechnology at the University of East London.

Reichert Tanda will study economic development at the University of Bradford and Deborah Kakis will study the modern application of mathematics at the University of Bath.
Steamships managing director David Cox said the company’s sponsorship of the Steamships Chevening Scholarship scheme was integral to the company's commitment to the future and development of PNG and its desire to build local expertise and world class scientific capacity.
“We at Steamships and the broader Swire Group take pride in being environmentally aware and responsible.

"Strengthening research capacity in PNG is one of the most effective and sustainable ways of advancing conservation and environmental responsibility.

"Congratulations to Mr Novera on securing the scholarship and we wish you well in your studies,” he said.
British High Commissioner to PNG, David Dunn, thanked Steamships for co-funding the Chevening Steamships scholarship and congratulated Mr Novera and the four other scholars on securing scholarships to undergo a masters programme in the UK.
“The UK spends more than half a million Kina a year on educational scholarships in PNG. By securing a Chevening or Commonwealth scholarship you are now clearly identified as a future leader in your area expertise.

"I hope that you will get the most out of your experience in the UK, and proudly fly the flag for PNG during your 12 months abroad.

"Safe travels and we look forward to welcoming you back to PNG next year when you can put to work the skills and experience you have developed during you’re time in Britain" he added.
The scholars underwent an induction programme at the British High Commission last Friday where they were briefed on studying in the UK by BHC staff and previous Chevening/Commonwealth scholars.

They were then joined by members of the British Graduates Society to wish them well on their travels.
Applications for UK scholarships for academic year 2010-2011 will open in the next two weeks. Visit http://www.ukinpng.fco.gov.uk/ or watch the local press for information.

Anti-venom breakthrough for Papuan taipan

The deadly Papuan taipan, one of the most-venomous snakes in the world.-Picture by DAVID WILLIAMS

David “Snakeman” Williams and the Papuan taipan that bit him in 2007, while filming a segment for the ABC’s Foreign Correspondent programme on PNG’s anti-venom woes.

A new anti-venom for the deadly Papuan taipan, one of the most-venomous snakes in the world and leading cause of death in Papua New Guinea, has been developed by the Australian Venom Research Unit and will cost one-eighth of the current very expensive price.
Clinical toxinologist and herpetologist David Williams – popularly known as “Snakeman” because of the number of snakebite victims he has saved – told of the breakthrough as he prepares to leaves PNG this week to take up an appointment to the World Health Organisation based in Geneva, Switzerland.
The cost of a vial is currently K4, 500; however, the new anti-venom will cost K600-K650 per vial.
“The Papuan taipan (Oxyuranus scutellatus) is responsible for more than 90% of all cases of envenoming in south-eastern PNG, and the cost of treatment with available anti-venoms manufactured in Australia currently exceeds K4, 500 per vial,” Mr Williams said.
“Analysis of the incidence of bites by taipans have resulted in needs estimate of at least 700-1, 000 vials of appropriate anti-venom each year, yet, much less than this is purchased by the National Department of Health because it cannot afford this many vials at the current prices.
“We have developed a new equine whole IgG (Immunoglobulin G) monovalent anti-venom raised against venom from Papuan taipans maintained in the research collection at the University of Papua New Guinea.”
“This new product ‘Papuan taipan monovalent IgG anti-venom ICP’ was raised by
immunising horses maintained at the Instituto Clodomiro Picado in Costa Rica with venom and harvesting plasma for fractionation to obtain a whole IgG preparation.”
Mr Williams said after passing all the preclinical stages, the anti-venom would then be ready to be shipped to PNG for clinical evaluation of dose, safety and efficacy.
“We therefore propose to seek both ethical approval and funding for a randomised,
control trial of this new anti-venom - against current taipan anti-venom - in the second half of 2010, and hope that local doctors will embrace participation in the important trial,” he said.
“As a result of global warming, and the expansion of agricultural practices such as palm oil production, forestry and rice growing, the incidence of envenoming by Papuan taipans will undoubtedly increase over coming years.
“If patients are not to be left to die, then we must take action to enable PNG to control the production of anti-venom to meet the present and future needs.
“Our new IgG anti-venom is likely to have a final production price of K600-650, and will not only produce significant cost savings to government, but through wider availability and greater stability, save many thousands of lives in years to come.”

New death adder found in Papua New Guinea

Milking a death adder of its venom.-Picture by DAVID WILLIAMS

New Guinea small-eyed snake.-Picture by DAVID WILLIAMS

Snake keeper Jasper Gabugabu with a death adder.-Picture by DAVID WILLIAMS

A new species of death adder – a major killer in Papua New Guinea - has been found by the Australian Venom Research Unit, according to clinical toxinologist and herpetologist David “Snakeman” Williams.
In other snake news, Australian-made Commonwealth Serum Laboratories tiger snake anti-venom has the strongest binding affinity for lethal toxins in small-eyed snake venom, small-eyed snake being a major killer in PNG, particularly on Karkar Island in the Madang province.
Mr Williams told of these developments as he prepares to leave Papua New Guinea this week to take up a new posting with the World Health Organisation in Geneva, Switzerland.
“We have been studying the taxonomy of death adders in PNG for several years, in collaboration with the University of Wales in the UK, and have identified at least one new species of death adder, which we will be naming soon,” he said.
“We are also investigating regional variation in the venom of death adders to determine how effective current anti-venoms are at neutralising the lethal effects of death adder bites from all areas of the country.
“University of PNG masters in medical science student, Owen Paiva, is leading the local venom work, and will be collaborating with scientists from the University of Melbourne and the Queensland Institute of Medical Research to try and map the diversity of toxins in death adder venoms from different parts of PNG.
“The project has in part been driven by the discovery that patients bitten by death adders in the North Fly district of Western province sometimes develop severe renal failure after death adder bites – something that has not been reported elsewhere in PNG or in Australia.
“Since renal dialysis is rarely possible in Port Moresby, let alone in Western province, this is a major issue for health workers in the North Fly, and we need to determine as quickly as possible whether or not Australian-made anti-venom will prevent the development of renal failure if administered as soon as possible after a bite occurs.”
As regards the small-eyed snake, Mr Paiva has studied the venom of the New Guinea small-eyed snake for his MMedSci, and one of the key discoveries has been the finding that Australian-made CSL tiger snake anti-venom has the strongest binding affinity for lethal toxins in small-eyed snake venom.
“Tiger snake anti-venom is also present in the CSL polyvalent anti-venom, but Owen’s finding that the monovalent CSL tiger snake anti-venom bound the small-eyed snake toxins at half the concentration needed if you use polyvalent anti-venom is a very important result,” Mr Williams said.
“It provides strong evidence for the use of CSL tiger snake anti-venom in the treatment of small-eyed snake bites, instead of the much more-expensive polyvalent anti-venom, which costs almost five times more.
“Interestingly tiger snake anti-venom was used to treat small-eyed snake bites on Karkar Island in the 1960’s and early 1970’s by the late Dr Ed Tscharke at Gaubin Hospital.
“Owen (Paiva) is also identifying and characterising toxins from small-eyed snake venom to develop a catalogue of the toxins produced by this endemic New Guinean snake.”
Mr Paiva won the Debra Lehmann Prize at the recent Medical Symposium for his talk on this subject.

Papua blacksnake not ‘extinct’

The Papuan blacksnake.-Picture by DAVID WILLIAMS

The deadly Papuan taipan, one of the most-venomous snakes in the world, which is often mistaken for a Papuan black.-Picture by DAVID WILLIAMS

The Papuan blacksnake, thought to have become extinct due to cane toads, is alive and well in parts of the Central province.
However, snake expert David Williams, says it is unlikely to bite people like the deadly Papua taipan and should be protected and preserved as part of Papua New Guinea’s natural heritage.
“It is important that people also be told that our studies of the behaviour of this snake, suggest that it is very shy, extremely reluctant to bite, even when handled, and combined with the knowledge that none of the patients seen at Port Moresby General Hospital in the past five years had been bitten by blacksnakes, it is very unlikely to cause snakebites,” he said.
“ As a potentially-threatened species, and one that is well known to all Papua New Guineans and expats alike as a native animal symbol of PNG, it should be protected and preserved as an important part of PNG’s natural heritage.
“In January 2006, we were finally able to confirm the continued presence of Papuan blacksnakes in Central province, with the discovery of a freshly-killed specimen on the Magi Highway about 45km out of Port Moresby.
“On dissection, we found that the snake in question had been feeding on rodents, which offered a possible explanation for the survival of the species in an area that was heavily infested with cane toads.
“The snake was also found close to a forested area that backed onto swamplands: undisturbed natural habitat.
“In June 2008, a second specimen was given to us by staff from the Exxon-Mobil LNG project after it was killed near one of their buildings at the project site along the Lealea road.
“This was followed in December by the discovery of another adult specimen from the same area, which died from injuries incurred when it was caught by LNG workers.
“These two snakes are strong evidence that a population of these very shy snakes still exists in the Boera-Papa-Lealea area.
“Then just before Christmas, we were given a live juvenile blacksnake by Andrew Taplin, a biologist working with Department of Environment and Conservation.
“Andrew caught the snake while bushwalking near Sogeri in thick rainforest at an altitude of around 950m.”
Mr Williams said this was a very important discovery, because it was the first time that this species had been discovered living in forest in mountainous country, and opened the possibility that the species may be much more widely distributed than had ever been thought before (it was always believed to be restricted to low-lying areas along the southern side of PNG, typically in areas of scrub, grassland or swampland), and could perhaps even occur on the northern side of the Owen Stanley Range in Oro or Milne Bay provinces where the mountain ranges are below 1, 000 metres.
“We have heard stories from Oro and Milne Bay people about ‘blacksnakes’ being found there, and this now seems very possible, since the discovery of this snake at Sogeri means that mountains below 1,000m are not a barrier confining their distribution,” he said.
“The other important thing is that until these four specimens were found, this species had not been positively identified in Central province since 1992 and was considered to be at risk of local extinction east of Gulf province (it is still common in the South and Middle Fly districts of Western province).
“The discovery of these four snakes proves that there are at least three different populations of Papuan blacksnake in Central Province, and probably many more.”

'Snakeman' Williams leaves Papua New Guinea

Snakemen…David Williams (centre) with his assistant Owen Paiva (left) and snake handler Jasper Gabugabu with a deadly death adder.-Picture by MALUM NALU

Australian Venom Research Unit clinical toxinologist and herpetologist David Williams – popularly known as ‘Snakeman’ because of the number of lives of snakebite victims he has saved - leaves Papua New Guinea next week to take up an appointment to the World Health Organisation based in Geneva, Switzerland.
He will be working on a project to improve access to snake antivenoms in the developing world, particularly in Africa and Asia.
Mr Williams has worked and lived in PNG for almost 15 years, and even though his posting to the WHO is temporary, he said that leaving PNG even for a little while was perhaps the most difficult decision he has had to make.
“I have made the best of friends here, in towns, cities and in villages in far-flung provinces,” he said,
“I have been welcomed into homes and communities with warmth and generosity.
“I have seen Papua New Guinean people at their best, and I have had the great privilege to help some of them, when they were at their worst.
“It has been for me, the most challenging, confronting, frustrating, alarming, and yet at the same time uplifting, inspiring, insightful and educational time of my life.
“Papua New Guinea feels more like ‘home’ to me, than my own country, Australia does, and I will miss it very much while I am gone.
“I hope that the Minister for Health will give me the opportunity to come back to PNG and continue my work here, once my appointment to WHO ends.”
For the past four years, Mr Williams has been studying the clinical effects of snake bite at Port Moresby General Hospital, and at one stage, even became a patient himself, after being bitten by a 2.5m long Papuan taipan at Napa Napa during the making of a documentary on PNG’s dire antivenom woes for the ABC Foreign Correspondent programme in 2007.
Through his work, the lives of many snake bite patients have been saved, and with the development of a new taipan antivenom that costs less than 1/8th the price of the current antivenom, he hopes that many thousands more lives will be saved in years to come by enabling the national government to supply more antivenom to many more parts of PNG than ever before.
But regardless of which antivenom is used to treat snake bite, Mr Williams says that the secret to saving snake bite patients lies in having a well-trained and responsive health work force.
“In rural health centres, such as Veifa’a in Mekeo, the snake bite mortality rate has plummeted as a result of the training we have given to local health workers, and because of their willingness to embrace this new knowledge” he said.
“To some extent, rural health centres who have trained staff and access to antivenom, now do much better at managing snake bite than even Port Moresby General Hospital, perhaps because the staff are in the same boat as their community members – any one of them can be bitten by a snake, so they are acutely aware of just how urgent an emergency snake bite is, and they take extreme steps to manage snake bite well.
“It is sometimes a bit more difficult at PMGH, which has a very under-resourced emergency department that is grossly overcrowded and often under-staffed; patients sometimes fall through the cracks.
“We have also had ongoing problems with access to antivenom at PMGH.
“Supplies that run out on a weekend often cannot be replenished until the next Monday, and this means patients admitted on a Saturday or Sunday may not get antivenom when they need it, resulting in a poor prognosis.”
Mr Williams also said that while work needed to be done to prevent unnecessary deaths after snake bite, that people should have confidence in the medical service provided by the hospital.
“Nursing staff, particularly in the ED, Ward 7 and the intensive care unit are among the most-dedicated and professional health workers in the country, and the care they provide to snake bite patients is exemplary” he said.
“There are also a number of young doctors coming up through the ranks now who take a serious interest in the treatment of snake bite, and they should be encouraged to consider toxinology as a career sub-specialty, because PNG badly needs local snake bite experts in its hospitals.
“The most wonderful memories I have from my time in PNG, are of people who survived their snake bites.
“I consider it a privilege to have been able to help make it possible for these men, women and children to take back their lives and go home to their families.
“There is nothing better in this world than the smile on the face of a person whose life you have helped save.”
In Mr William’s absence, the snake bite project will continue, and will be managed by his colleague, emergency physician Dr Simon Jensen while the day-to-day operations of the snake bite laboratory will be handled by Owen Paiva and Jasper Gabugabu in collaboration with Dr Jensen and Prof Lohi Matainaho, dean of research at University of PNG.
“We also expect to have a number of visits from other University of Melbourne collaborators and other visitors in coming months to support Owen and Jasper, and to further develop specific projects,” Mr Williams said.
“We anticipate lodging an application for ethics approval to conduct a clinical trial of the new taipan antivenom before the end of this year, with a start date for the trial in 2010.
“If the taipan antivenom succeeds then we will look at developing a new bivalent death adder/small-eyed snake antivenom in 2012.”

InterOil increases investment in Gulf Province gas fields

PORT MORESBY, FRI SEPT 18: INTEROIL Corporation has moved to increase investment in its Elk Antelope gas exploration fields in the Gulf Province.

The company has announced two separate transactions aimed at giving it a greater control over and share of the LNG project.

In the first transaction the company has agreed to acquire indirect participation interests currently held by a number of external investors.

This will involve InterOil acquiring a total of 4.3364% participation in Elk Antelope in exchange for the issuing of  common shares to the value of approximately $US 56-million.

The deal will also cover any future discoveries made as a result of four exploration wells still to be drilled.

In the other transaction, InterOil has sold a 2.5% direct working interest in gas and condensate discovered at Elk Antelope to Pacific LNG Operations Limited a foundation joint venturer in InterOil’s LNG Project.

InterOil will receive $US25-million for the deal and also acquire 2.5% of Pacific LNG’s economic interest in the joint venture (LNG) project.

When finalised, the two transactions will see InterOil with a 73.6614% direct interest in its exploration licences for the Elk Antelope fields.

This figure excludes the interests of the state of Papua New Guinea.

Also, InterOil has announced that its Antelope reservoir may be higher than first thought.

Latest drilling has intersected the top of the reservoir at 6,007 metres, which is 105 metres higher than pre-drill estimates.

InterOil CEO Mr. Phil Mulacek said the company was pleased to have made the discovery.

“We believe it could result in a meaningful increase in our internal gas resource estimates”, he said

 

For further information contact

 

Susuve Laumaea

Senior Manager Media Relations

InterOil Corporation

Ph: (675) 311 2796

Mobile: (675) 7201 3870 / (675) (7) 684 5168

Email: slaumaea@digicelpacific.blackberry.com