We didn't get paid today because
This is an urban legend at its best!
Groan!
Thursday, October 08, 2009
Tsunami madness
More power to our Papua New Guinea farmers
If you go around to our major supermarkets to Port Moresby, you'll notice that, unlike previous years, there are more and more locally-produced vegetables.
Kudos to the supermarkets for this, and you can do your bit to support Papua New Guinea-grown, by buying our local vegetables such as potatoes, onions, cabbage, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, tomatoes, beans, strawberries, and the list goes on and on.
Picture as left is my five-year-old daughter, Moasing, at the Stop n Shop Supermarket in Gerehu this morning against the backdrop of local vegetables.
More power to our farmers!
Sunset over Port Moresby
I caught this sunset over Port Moresby as I was walking back from RH Hypermart at Gordons to my newspaper office at The National.
Grealy uplifting to see the last rays of sunshine spilling all over the capital city of Papua New Guinea.
Much ado about a nothing tsunami!
Widespread pandemonium in Port Moresby today that a tsunami will strike!
Much ado about nothing and it's all an urban legend!
Please get back to work!
Papua New Guinea needs this more than panic-stricken people running around like headless chooks!
Much ado about nothing and it's all an urban legend!
Please get back to work!
Papua New Guinea needs this more than panic-stricken people running around like headless chooks!
Manus gears up to celebrate 2009 World Food Day
Ecom High School students have fun taking care of sheep and goat recently donated by National Department of Agriculture and Livestock. The livestock will be one of Ecom’s main attractions during World Food Day celebrations
School principal James Pokasui (second from left) his deputy Kupe Kuyei (third from left) provincial agriculture advisor Ben Bulungol (second from right) and students in the poultry facilityBy SOLDIER BURUKA of Department of Agriculture and Livestock
Friday week, Oct 16, is World Food Day.
And in Papua New Guinea, preparations are underway in most provinces for government agencies, provincial administrations, non-government organisations, agricultural companies, farmer groups, farmers and the public to celebrate the international event with a wide range of activities.
The 2009 World Food Day theme is ‘Achieving Food Security in Times of Crisis’.
It is important that every man, woman, boy and girl must have access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs to live an active and healthy life in times of crisis.
Everyone needs to be reminded that at a time when the global economic crisis is dominating everyday lives, we must think about the small-scale farms and rural communities where the majority of the world’s hungry live and work.
PNG, therefore, has a commitment to increase public awareness and understanding of the problems of hunger and poverty.
It is important that all stakeholders work together to make sure hunger is recognised as a critical problem, and solve it.
The 2009 official WFD will be celebrated in the Manus Province over three days, starting next Thursday, Oct 15, which is World Hunger Day.
A number of high-profile figures have been invited to attend and observe the celebrations in the island province.
The programme commences on Thursday with two field visits, one to Kawaliap primary school in the Tetidu LLG area in inland Manus, and the other field trip is to Ahus Island and Liap primary school on the south coast of the province.
The objective is to give the visitors an insight into the food security programme being initiated in the primary schools and the impact of global warming and its effects on food security.
Ahus Island was recently struck by king tides, which devastated some parts of the island and the community is now considering relocating to the mainland.
In the evening, there will be a seminar at the Ecom High School mess where key papers on food security and other issues relating to the WFD theme will be presented by selected speakers.
It is expected that representatives from the Department of Agriculture and Livestock, Department of Education, National Agriculture Research Institute, Manus provincial administration and Ecom High School will present papers.
National Broadcasting Commision’s Radio Manus will provide live broadcast of the seminar.
On Friday, Oct 16, the programme will commence in Lorengau town with the display of floats from a number of schools and the provincial administration.
The floats will move around the town and head to Ecom High School, which will be the venue for the celebrations.
Other activities including official welcome speeches and keynote addresses will be presented, followed by the launching of the Ecom High School self-sufficiency project, smallholder rice extension model and NARI/Ecom high school agriculture research co-operation.
Meanwhile, stalls and other displays will be set up by individual farmers, schools, government agencies and other groups to commemorate the WFD.
It is expected that the displays will comprise of local subsistence food crops, cash crops, marine products, livestock, cooking demonstrations, agricultural information publications, agricultural services and others.
A Miss World Food Day Manus segment has been included which should draw a big crowd.
The Ecom High School agriculture self-help project will be showcased during the WFD celebrations.
This concept has been widely supported and many believe should be adopted by other schools throughout the country.
The school students will be proudly displaying a number of agricultural projects that they have initiated including piggery, poultry, sheep and goat farming, sweet potato and taro production and others.
Manus provincial administration through its agriculture division will be highlighting agricultural activities in the province including coconut rehabilitation and coconut biofuel project, cocoa, rubber, vanilla, marketing services, food crops production and others, which have been made possible with funding support under the National Agriculture Development Plan.
On Saturday, Oct 17, which is World Poverty Day, there will be a presentation by the Miss WFD Manus contestants.
This will be followed by debate and quiz on food security issues to be contested by school students.
Following the events, the WFD committee will award prizes to the various winners of all categories, including Miss WFD Manus.
Friday week, Oct 16, is World Food Day.
And in Papua New Guinea, preparations are underway in most provinces for government agencies, provincial administrations, non-government organisations, agricultural companies, farmer groups, farmers and the public to celebrate the international event with a wide range of activities.
The 2009 World Food Day theme is ‘Achieving Food Security in Times of Crisis’.
It is important that every man, woman, boy and girl must have access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs to live an active and healthy life in times of crisis.
Everyone needs to be reminded that at a time when the global economic crisis is dominating everyday lives, we must think about the small-scale farms and rural communities where the majority of the world’s hungry live and work.
PNG, therefore, has a commitment to increase public awareness and understanding of the problems of hunger and poverty.
It is important that all stakeholders work together to make sure hunger is recognised as a critical problem, and solve it.
The 2009 official WFD will be celebrated in the Manus Province over three days, starting next Thursday, Oct 15, which is World Hunger Day.
A number of high-profile figures have been invited to attend and observe the celebrations in the island province.
The programme commences on Thursday with two field visits, one to Kawaliap primary school in the Tetidu LLG area in inland Manus, and the other field trip is to Ahus Island and Liap primary school on the south coast of the province.
The objective is to give the visitors an insight into the food security programme being initiated in the primary schools and the impact of global warming and its effects on food security.
Ahus Island was recently struck by king tides, which devastated some parts of the island and the community is now considering relocating to the mainland.
In the evening, there will be a seminar at the Ecom High School mess where key papers on food security and other issues relating to the WFD theme will be presented by selected speakers.
It is expected that representatives from the Department of Agriculture and Livestock, Department of Education, National Agriculture Research Institute, Manus provincial administration and Ecom High School will present papers.
National Broadcasting Commision’s Radio Manus will provide live broadcast of the seminar.
On Friday, Oct 16, the programme will commence in Lorengau town with the display of floats from a number of schools and the provincial administration.
The floats will move around the town and head to Ecom High School, which will be the venue for the celebrations.
Other activities including official welcome speeches and keynote addresses will be presented, followed by the launching of the Ecom High School self-sufficiency project, smallholder rice extension model and NARI/Ecom high school agriculture research co-operation.
Meanwhile, stalls and other displays will be set up by individual farmers, schools, government agencies and other groups to commemorate the WFD.
It is expected that the displays will comprise of local subsistence food crops, cash crops, marine products, livestock, cooking demonstrations, agricultural information publications, agricultural services and others.
A Miss World Food Day Manus segment has been included which should draw a big crowd.
The Ecom High School agriculture self-help project will be showcased during the WFD celebrations.
This concept has been widely supported and many believe should be adopted by other schools throughout the country.
The school students will be proudly displaying a number of agricultural projects that they have initiated including piggery, poultry, sheep and goat farming, sweet potato and taro production and others.
Manus provincial administration through its agriculture division will be highlighting agricultural activities in the province including coconut rehabilitation and coconut biofuel project, cocoa, rubber, vanilla, marketing services, food crops production and others, which have been made possible with funding support under the National Agriculture Development Plan.
On Saturday, Oct 17, which is World Poverty Day, there will be a presentation by the Miss WFD Manus contestants.
This will be followed by debate and quiz on food security issues to be contested by school students.
Following the events, the WFD committee will award prizes to the various winners of all categories, including Miss WFD Manus.
Importance of World Food Day to Papua New Guinea and the world
This and all pictures of a wonderful roadside market in Tambul, Western Highlands province, which I travelled to two weeks ago. These self-reliant farmers are the true backbone of Papua New Guinea.JPG)
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World Food Day falls on Friday, October 16, 2009.
At a time when the global economic crisis dominates the news, the world needs to be reminded that not everyone works in offices and factories.
The crisis is stalking the small-scale farms and rural areas of the world, including Papua New Guinea, where 70% of the world's hungry live and work.
With an estimated increase of 105 million hungry people in 2009, there are now 1.02 billion malnourished people in the world, meaning that almost one-sixth of all humanity is suffering from hunger.
Both public and private investments are needed, more specifically through targeted public investment to encourage and facilitate private investment, especially by farmers themselves.
At a time when the global economic crisis dominates the news, the world needs to be reminded that not everyone works in offices and factories.
The crisis is stalking the small-scale farms and rural areas of the world, including Papua New Guinea, where 70% of the world's hungry live and work.
With an estimated increase of 105 million hungry people in 2009, there are now 1.02 billion malnourished people in the world, meaning that almost one-sixth of all humanity is suffering from hunger.
Both public and private investments are needed, more specifically through targeted public investment to encourage and facilitate private investment, especially by farmers themselves.
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
Potato is best agricultural crop
Agriculture businessman and strong potato advocate Grame Ross (pictured), of Alele Farm Fresh Produce, says potato has the best returns in agriculture with an 86% profit margin, the industry is worth over K100 million and is a guaranteed source of food security.
He was speaking during the recent opening of Fresh Produce Development Agency’s potato screen houses in Tambul, Western Highlands province.
“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.”
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