Sunday, February 14, 2010
Happy 8th Birthday Gedi 'Boy' Nalu
Happy eighth Birthday to my second son, Gedi 'Boy' Nalu Jr, who turned eight years old on Saturday, February 13, 2010.
Love from Dad, as well as big brother Malum Nalu Jr, sister Moasing, and baby Keith, plus family and friends in Daru, Lae,
A thought for Valentine's Day
Hula, my Darling,
Today, I will see all the lovers having a good time, but you are not here to share with me.
Why, why, why?
The times we spent together, in Lae, Goroka,
You left me all alone on March 23, 2008, with our four lovely young children.
This picture is one of the happy times we had in Goroka in 1999.
Hula, I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU!
Friday, February 12, 2010
Chinese investor looks at oil palm for biofuel
By BUSISI SIWAKA of DAL
A Chinese investor is looking at opportunities in oil palm development and management of oil palm plantations for biofuel (diesel).
The company, ZTE Agribusiness Company Ltd, believes PNG can become the next location for its quest for expansion of oil palm plantation development and management.
Two senior executives of the Chinese company recently held discussions with the Department of Agriculture and Livestock, Investment Promotion Authority and relevant government agencies.
ZTE Agribusiness Company Ltd is a subsidiary of ZTE, one of the biggest telecommunication companies in the People’s Republic of
It has recently diversified into agri-business activities and currently has developed thousands of hectares of oil palm plantation in
The company is interested in PNG because of the vast potential of its agriculture sector.
Company executives Chen Long and Ran Ran met DAL’s acting director for policy and planning, Ian Mesibere, to discuss their proposal as well as seek more information on government policies, procedures and issues relating to agro-forestry investment and agribusiness.
Mr Mesibere, on behalf of the DAL Secretary, welcomed the officials and outlined the role and responsibilities of DAL as well as the Oil Palm Industry Corporation.
He spoke on a number of issues including land tenure system, state and customary land, joint venture arrangements, environment and delivery of agricultural services.
He also highlighted the existing and proposed oil palm development in various parts of the country.
Simbu welcomes agriculture support services project
By SOLDIER BURUKA of DAL
A project implementation agreement has been signed for an agriculture extension project in the Simbu province.
Officials from the Department of Agriculture and Livestock and the Simbu administration signed the agreement in
The Department of National Planning and Monitoring is the other signatory to the agreement.
The agreement basically reaffirms that the Simbu administration will utilise the funding made available through grants from NZAid and other sources to promote effective agriculture support services delivery system to smallholder farmers.
The project is aimed at contributing to the overall goal of an improved quality of life for smallholder farmers and their families by increasing their access to agriculture support services. It covers priority areas such as food crop production, livestock, farming systems management, input supplies, marketing, training and awareness, and community development.
The provincial division of agriculture and livestock will take charge in implementing the project and will establish a support services contract facility, management unit and a steering committee. A key component of the project will be capacity building for agricultural staff and support service providers in the province.
At the signing of the agreement at DAL headquarters, witnessed by Chimbu Governor Fr John Garia, all parties pledged to work closely in supporting the project.
DAL Secretary Anton Benjamin said DAL as the executing agency would ensure that funding was made available for the next two years and that the project ran smoothly.
He said donor agencies were mindful of how their funds were spent and urged the recipients to instill strict accountability in use of funds.
The project will have an impact in the rural communities especially in extension and agriculture services delivery.
Simbu administrator Joe Kunda Naur said the project was an excellent opportunity to boost agriculture development and urged the provincial government to give its full support.
He was confident that his administration had the capability to implement the project, which will be launched in two districts.
Fr Garia welcomed the project and assured the administration and DAL that his government would give its support.
He said agriculture was important for the province and such projects must have a positive impact.
Villagers hail kaukau testing technology
Caption: Meteyufa farmers happily harvesting the PT Trial
Sweet potato or kaukau farmers at Meteyufa village near Goroka were proud harvesters of improved kaukau yields of a research trial planted from clean planting materials developed through a new technology known as pathogen testing.
The trial, by the National Agricultural Research Institute’s Highlands Regional Research Centre at Aiyura, Eastern Highlands, which was planted late last year, had both pathogen tested (PT) and non-pathogen Tested (NPT) planting materials.
The comparative trial was conducted to demonstrate the advantage of PT materials over non-PT materials in terms of yield differences.
PT materials are planting materials of kaukau that are tested to be clean from diseases such as scab and scurf, but most importantly viral diseases.
Research in
Viruses are microscopic pathogens and are systemic.
They thrive in the plant from generation to generation and silently contribute to yield decline, a problem which could be overcome by the use of the PT materials.
In 2008, a PT scheme was established in PNG to improve sweet potato yield and quality by removing virus and virus-like organisms.
The PT scheme includes germplasm maintenance, foundation seed production, reselection, heat treatment, meristem culture, virus indexing using indicator plants, Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and/or molecular methods. In removing viruses from the plant, the PT scheme also frees plants from other diseases such as scab and scurf and pests like gall mites and weevils whose eggs are deposited on the vines and leaves.
The PT comparison trial at Meteyufa was part of an ACIAR (Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research) funded project which is investigating the impact of pests and diseases on sweet potato in PNG cropping systems.
NARI and the Fresh Produce Development Agency (FPDA), PNG, are collaborating with the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and fisheries (QDPI&F),
As part of field demonstration of the technology to farmers, FPDA, through mini field demonstration trials, has distributed more than 500 PT cuttings to farmers for cultivation at various sites in both the Eastern Highlands and
Meteyufa village is an agriculturally dynamic area in
Sweet potato is one of the most-dominant commercial crops the village cultivates.
A Meteyufa commercial farmer, Aku Ulo, noticed yield decline in his sweet potato farms and expressed it in 2009.
In response, NARI and FPDA set up the comparative trial at the village to demonstrate that planting of PT materials can help improve his kaukau yield.
The trial, which lasted about four months, was harvested on Dec 15, 2009.
Fifteen farmers from the village as well as president of the Eastern Highlands Women in Agriculture (WiA), Margaret Seko, and another member of the group, Jennifer Kena, participated in the harvest and witnessed improvements that can be derived from the PT technology.
They observed huge yield differences.
One of the farmers, Tom Soles said there were obvious differences between the PT and non-PT tubers in their shapes, sizes and general yield.
He said he was astonished to see much better yields from PT materials as compared to those by non-PT materials.
With excitement, other farmers requested for PT materials to be distributed.
The trial was hailed a success as it achieved its goal of demonstrating the advantages of the PT technology to the farmers.
From the preliminary results, it is envisaged that the project is likely to result in higher productivity through increased overall yield, improved tuber shape and flesh colour, resulting in greater market appeal.
Currently, the PT project is in the phase of cleaning up all the commercial sweet potato varieties from the Eastern Highlands and
The cleaning process is undertaken at the NARI tissue culture laboratory in Aiyura.
After the cleaning process, the clean materials will be re-introduced to the farmers for cultivation.
Kompiam sets out to develop coffee industry
Caption: Eager…Kompiam Cooperative Society Farmers at the CIC coffee nursery site during their visit
Story and picture by YVONNE NGUTLICK of CIC
Kompiam district in the
Kompiam district is located northeast of
It is one of two leading coffee producing districts in the Province.
The other is Wapanemanda district.
Steep slopes in the area pose strong agricultural pressure on the land and its people.
Incomes are derived primarily from coffee and sale fresh produce.
The Kompiam Cooperative Society has big plans to service its district by establishing central coffee nurseries, rehabilitating existing tree-stock, in-filling and gradually progress its coffee industry backed with financial support from local MP John Pundari.
Kompiam District produces on average about 20,000 bags of parchment coffee annually, valued at K5 million.
Subsequent to a basic coffee training on nursery establishment and harvest and processing late last year 2009, the Kompiam Cooperative Society refurbished its drive to work on coffee.
The Coffee Industry Corporation (CIC) facilitated training.
Then, a recent visit to the CIC research division in Aiyura,
The trip was also intended to gain technical expertise and advice coffee production.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
FW: InterOil announces purchase of second drilling rig
PORT MORESBY, February 9, 2010 -- InterOil Corporation has announced it has purchased a second drilling rig.
The 1,500 horsepower heliportable “triple” rig with top drive was originally built by Parker Drilling. Total cash consideration for the rig and an extensive inventory of drilling and oil field service equipment, currently located in
The rig specifications are:
- OIME SL-1500 horsepower heliportable “triple” rig.
- Tesco 500 ton top drive.
- Two 1,300 hp mud pumps, both 5 inch and 3 1/2 inch drill pipe.
- 60 ton crane and 40 ton all terrain crane.
The new rig is capable of drilling to 16,500 vertical feet and of drilling longer horizontal sections than the company’s current rig.
The added depth capacity of this rig, in addition to the top drive system, is expected to add flexibility and efficiency to our drilling operations.
The additional rig is not only suitable for development of the Elk/Antelope field, but also adds increased depth capacity and well design versatility to our exploration program.
The rig is capable of tripping drill pipe in “triples,” which InterOil believes will lead to significantly shorter drilling times.
Two rigs in the field are expected to add efficiency to our overall drilling operations as many of the services and equipment can be shared across both rigs.
The Company anticipates moving the rig to PNG in the second quarter of this year following completion of the transaction and refurbishment of tubular and other rotating equipment.
InterOil chairman and CEO Phil Mulacek stated: “We are very satisfied with the acquisition of the InterOil’s second rig which is outstanding in terms of design and capabilities and is particularly well suited for operations in the area in which our development and exploration activities are being conducted.”
About InterOil
InterOil Corporation is developing a vertically integrated energy business whose primary focus is
InterOil’s common shares trade on the NYSE in US dollars.
For further in formation please contact
Susuve Laumaea
Senior Manager Media Relations InterOil Corporation
Ph: (675) 321 7040
Email: susuve.laumaea@interoil.com
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