Highlands Agricultural College pig farm a success

Highlands Agricultural College deputy principal and livestock lecturer Sam Imine checks out piglets (above) and pigs (below) in the piggery.

By SOLDIER BURUKA of DAL

The piggery section at the Highlands Agricultural College has become a successful model farm.
According to the deputy principal and lecturer in livestock, Sam Imine, the piggery section had seen a lot of improvements this year compared to the past.
Imine said students were given practical training in all aspects of raising pigs.
They are also taught cost-effective ways of producing feed from local ingredients and imported feed.
Students learn practical ways related to weaning to break-in stages.
Imine said the piggery unit, whilst supplying pork to the mess, also met the needs of the current course in certificate in agriculture farming.
Due to the success, the college is planning to conduct short courses for farmers in pig feed formulation and mixing to cope with current demand for piggery training.
There is big demand for weaners but the college cannot supply the numbers.
It has 10 sows and wants to increase the number to 20 by end of this year.
Imine said students were appreciative of what they were learning in the livestock component of the training programme.
The college has the potential to boost the piggery section as part of promoting food security in the region.
HAC is PNG’s premier in-service training institution managed by the Department of Agriculture and Livestock and that has produced well over 2,300 PCD graduates and another 1,500 trainees on short specialised training courses, which is a significant achievement.
Many Pacific Island students have also attended this college.

NAIS a vital information tool for agriculture development

The PNG National Agricultural Information System (NAIS) is a vital agricultural information source that can support and enhance agricultural development and growth.

NAIS was initiated in 1991 as a partnership between the National Agricultural Research Institute and the PNG Coffee Research Institute (now part of the Coffee Industry Corporation).

The NAIS database project has gone a step further to include other major partners in the agriculture sector.

The current seven active partners working in collaboration to develop NAIS are NARI, CIC, Department of Agriculture and Livestock, Ramu Agri-Industries, New Britain Palm Oil Ltd, PNG Oil Palm Research Association, PNG Cocoa Coconut Institute.

The PNG University of Technology and PNG Forestry Research Institute will soon join the NAIS team.

NAIS comprises a library catalogue of over 36,000 records of books, journal articles, conference papers, trial reports and other information resources held by the NAIS partners in their libraries and information centres throughout PNG.

The NAIS database can be accessed at the DAL information branch located at the Monian Tower in downtown Port Moresby.

Chief information officer Nicks Maniha or senior library officer Gabriel Yange can be contacted for further information on (675) 3402108.

Meanwhile, DAL information branch with technical assistance from the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) has gone one step further to acquire and operate a vital source for information known as “The Essential Electronic Agricultural Library (TEEAL).

Produced by the Albert R Mann Library at Cornell University in the United States, TEEAL is the offline database of full-text articles on PDF files from over 130 journals in the agricultural sciences from 1993 to 2008.

The TEEAL database hosted by DAL is the first such information product available in the country and the region.

It includes most of the journals usually requested by professors, students, researchers and extension workers from different fields.

Highlands Agricultural College can supply food for LNG

Students from Banz Lutheran College listen attentively to acting farm manager Gibson Simon during a visit to HAC.-Pictures by SOLDIER BURUKA

Acting farm manager Gibson Simon talks to Banz Lutheran College students about tomato cultivation during a visit to HAC.

The Department of Agriculture and Livestock-managed and operated Highlands Agricultural College has the potential to become an important partner and service provider to the LNG project.
The college, which is situated in Mount Hagen, can be developed into a major food production base to supply the LNG project and other mining projects.
These are the views expressed by the acting farm manager, Gibson Simon, who says the college has the land that can be utilised for food security to boost the demand expected from major mining activities such as the LNG.
The college, with more budgetary support and required facilities, can have the capacity to produce the food in big quantities to supply the LNG project and others.
Simon, with his 10 years agricultural experience, said the college was in a good position and with the right support could play a key role in food production to benefit the LNG project.
“I believe the college can venture into commercial farming to meet the market demand from the LNG project,” he said.
“There is ample land and enough technical know-how in the college to make this a reality.
“So far, we are producing food crops for students’ learning and practical purposes and to supplement the mess, but we can go into large-scale production if we have the budget and land space available.
“The college also has the potential to become an important teaching and information resource centre for the highlands region.”
Simon said many institutions including schools, women and youth groups realised the important role of the college and were sending students and young people to see and experience its activities.
Farmers were also coming regularly to the college for extension advice.
Simon said that among the food crops grown at the college were taro, cassava, rice, vegetables and pineapples.
These food crops not only formed part of the student’s learning but also supplemented the college mess, which has helped to reduce food costs over the years.
Simon said taro production was very promising.
There is big demand for taro which also has the potential to become an export commodity.
The two tonnes of taro harvested so far was sold for around K2, 300.
Kaukau or sweet potato is another ideal food commodity and production has been going well.
More than 5,000kg has been harvested and supplied to the mess, which has greatly reduced costs.
A total of 1,400 sq m is under pineapple production, which should earn reasonable income for the college.
Cassava is also grown and is the main source of pig feed which is helping to reduce costs as well.
Rice is also an ongoing activity and is supplied to the mess.
HAC is PNG’s premier in-service training institution that has produced well over 2,300 agriculture graduates and another 1,500 trainees on short specialised training courses, which is a significant achievement.
Many Pacific Island students have also attended this college.

Is this possible?

From PAUL OATES

"The director's decision is final and cannot be challenged in any court of law!" Is this proviso possible under the Papua New Guinea Constitution?
_______________________________________________-

PARLIAMENT PASSES BILL STOPPING LANDOWNERS INTERFERING WITH DEVELOPING PROJECT
May 28, 2010

By Scott Waide

28 MAY - NEWS FLASH! PARLIAMENT PASSES BILL STOPPING LANDOWNERS INTERFERING WITH DEVELOPING PROJECTS

This just came from scribes in Parliament: Parliament has just passed a new law stopping landowners from interfering with developing companies like Ramu Nickel and LNG. This effectively stops landowners from expressing how they
feel about developing projects.
Ten from the Opposition voted against it. Seventy three voted for it.
-S (http://www.tingtingblokantri.blogspot.com/)

_______________________________________________-

SUMMARY AND NOTES OF AMENDMENTS TO THE ENVIRONMENT ACT 2000.

The first two paragraphs are explanatory notes stating why the changes to the Environment act 200 should happen. Third paragraph is part of the law while the fourth to the seventh paragraph are explanations of the law changes. Paragraph 6 & 7 are interesting.

1) The explanatory notes state that: STATE THE LAW IS BEING MADE IN LIGHT OF RECENT COURT DECISION THAT HAS EXPOSED RESOURCE PROJECTS TO THE RISK THAT ANY PERMITS GRANTED BY THE STATE IN SATISFACTION OF LEGAL AND SCIENTIFIC REQUIREMENTS MAY NOT BE ENFORCEABLE.

2) The notes also state: A THIRD PARTY (FINANCED BY SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS), ALTHOUGH NOT STAKEHOLDERS CAN NOW CHALLENGE THE VALIDITY OF LEGAL PERMITS AND FRUSTRATE WORKS CARRIED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THESE LAWFUL PERMITS. .ALL MAJOR MINING AND PETROLEUM RESOURCE PROJECTS (SUCH AS LNG) ARE PARTICULARLY AT RISK AFFECTING THE ECONOMY AND THEREFORE A MATTER OF NATIONAL INTEREST..

3) The original section s. 69 under the environmental act 2000 reads as follows: 69. STAY OF OPERATION OF ORIGINAL DECISION.

(1) Where an application is made for review of a decision, and the operation of the decision of the Director is not suspended in accordance with Section 68(2), the applicant may apply to the National Court for a stay of operation
of the decision.

(2) Where the Court is of the opinion that a stay of operation is necessary to preserve the effectiveness of the review, the Court may order that operation of the decision be stayed.

(3) A stay has effect for the period stated by the Court and may be subject to any conditions that the Court thinks fit.

(4) The period of a stay shall not extend past the time when the Council reviews the decision and any later period the Court may allow to enable the applicant to appeal against the Council?s decision in relation to the review.

4) They have added a new section 69A authorising the Director (Wari Iamo) to authorise carrying out of specific acts,( including but not limited to those listed in section 42) and are not part of the initial conditions of the
permit, notwithstanding anything in any other law in force before or after this amendment

5) Then they add a new section 69B that merely states once this authorisation in s.69 A is given, the permit holder is entitled to carry out these activities, and such carrying out of work or activity does not constitute a civil cause of action, whether in tort or other law, and it is not an offense, and it is not unlawful..

6) They have added a new section 87A which says Wari Iamo can grant "exemption certificates" to permit holders that effectively states certain activities not included in the authorising instrument (permit )but was carried out is an "exempt operation" provided the activity was carried out in accordance with the original authorising instrument.This section further states the granting of exemption certificates, the director is NOT bound by any law requiring authority or consent or approval etc.

7) The director's decision is final and cannot be challenged in any court of law! They have also included in s. 87B that a holder of a authorising instrument (permit etc..) may apply for a "best practice certificate" basically stating the methodology they have used is or proposed to be used is the best standards or best practice standards available( whether engineering, environmental or otherwise).

Gulf PMV tragedy remembered

Caption: A family brought even closer together by tragedy…Sophia Auhava, Colbert Ivosa Kovea and Damien Feareka.-Picture by AURI EVA

 

By MALUM NALU

 

On Saturday, May 30, 2009, young Damien Feareka, 31, from Lese Oalai village, Gulf province, was travelling home from Port Moresby to be with wife Sophia, 28, and three-year-old son Colbert Ivosa Kovea.

A devout Catholic, Feareka, a storeman with Airways Hotel in Port Moresby was travelling home that weekend to be with his wife and son for a church festival for Mother Mary.

With him on the passenger truck, along with about 26 other passengers, was his loyal brother-in-law, Sylvester Auhava, 31, a subsistence farmer from Lese Oalai.

Mother Mary must have deserted them that day, and they never made it to Lese Oalai.

Near Bereina, Central province, about 100km west of Port Moresby, their truck collided head-on with another passenger truck from Gulf province killing 17 people, in what was Papua New Guinea’s worst-ever road accident, until the Jan 12, 2010, accident involving two passenger buses along the Markham Valley of Morobe province in which more than 40 people were killed 

Fourteen passengers and the two drivers died instantly in the Bereina accident on the Saturday afternoon of May 30, 2009,  while a young boy died later from severe internal injuries at the Port Moresby General Hospital.

Many survivors were taken to hospital, some with life-threatening injuries and others suffering broken arms and legs.

One passenger truck was heading to neighbouring Gulf province, while the other truck was heading for Port Moresby.

The vehicles were reportedly carrying 28 passengers each, many of whom were sleeping at the time of the crash.

“I went off to sleep,” Feareka tells me.

“When I woke up, I was shocked.

“I had a dislocated hip, a bone in my right leg was broken, the forefingers of my right hand were broken and I had hit my head.

“It happened around 3 o’clock.

“On the PMV we were travelling on, only four people survived.

“When I woke up, I couldn’t get up, until some people came and pulled me out.

“The only family member I lost was my tambu (in-law), Sylvester Auhava, from Lese Oalai.

“I’m married to his sister.”

Feareka has taken a year off work from his job as a storeman with Airways Hotel because of the serious nature of his injuries.

“I’ve gone through a lot of pain and trauma,” he reveals.

“Sometimes, when I sit down by myself, all those memories come back to haunt me.

“It also comes back to haunt me when I look at my bad legs.”

Perhaps because of his Christian upbringing, Feareka doesn’t harbor a grudge against those who may have been responsible for the tradgedy, except to say that drivers must drive more carefully and avoid consuming alcohol.

He thanks God for the fact that he is still alive and feels an empathy for those who lost family members

“PMV drivers always travel at top speed to pick up passengers in Gulf province and travel back to Port Moresby,” he says.

“The main cause of the accident was drinking and driving, plus driving at top speed

“I was going home for the weekend, because there was a feast for Mother Mary.

“We were travelling home for that occasion and we got involved in the accident.

“Nobody was thrown off the vehicle.

“We were all on board.

“They brought me to Bereina clinic.

“There were only two ambulances around at that time.

“I was brought over by my uncles, who travelled from Port Moresby to Bereina, and brought me to Port Moresby.

“I stayed in hospital for two months.

“I didn’t lose my job.

“My bosses told me that when I was fit enough, I could go back and work.

“Right now, I’m not working, because they have to take the metal out of my right thigh.

“I have to go back for another operation.”

Feareka, wife Sophia Auhava and four-year-old son Colbert are a picture of family love as they speak with me last Sunday.

Colbert runs around asking mum and dad for a lolly, oblivious to the fact that his dad may not be with him today.

“I was shocked and surprised to hear about the accident,” Sophia says as she fights back tears.

“I was in the village when the accident happened.

“After the accident, the next day, we came to Port Moresby.

“I lost my elder brother, Sylvester, who was travelling with my husband.”

The family, now closer than ever before since the accident, plan to travel to Lese Oalai to remember the accident, and particularly their brother and uncle Sylvester Auhava.

Gulf provincial disaster task force caretaker committee chairman, Jacob Ivaroa, is the one mandated to look after victims of the accident.

“There were many contributing factors to that accident,” he tells me.

“One of the key factors was the atrocious road conditions.

“The accident happened immediately after a sharp corner, where there are huge potholes.

“The driver wanted to avoid these potholes and didn’t see the oncoming vehicle.

“The driver travelling down to Gulf was tired because the previous day, he came from Gulf, returned, and then drove back to Port Moresby.

“He finished at about midnight, had a few hours of sleep, and then started picking up passengers at 7am for another trip.

“His fatigue affected his judgement.

“If he was not under stress, this would not have happened.

“There’s also evidence of both vehicles trying to avoid each other.

“Many of the people would also not have died had we had good medical services.

“Many of the people were alive after the accident, but died from things like loss of blood.”

May 30, 2009, was one of the saddest moments in the history of Gulf province and PNG as it was on this day that the then worst-ever road accident in the country took place.

As we remember those who lost their lives, we hope that some good will come out of this tragedy, for both Gulf and PNG.

Rest in Peace.

 

Businesses call for measures to address energy security in APEC

Chinese Taipei, 27 May 2010 – Recent turmoil in global energy markets underscores “the continuing challenges we face in strengthening energy security throughout the Asia Pacific,” says the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC).

 

In a letter to APEC Energy Ministers, ABAC – a group comprising some of the most respected business people from throughout the Asia-Pacific – makes very specific recommendations as to how these challenges might be addressed.  Excerpts follow:

 

• ABAC strongly recommends continued engagement between governments and the private sector… This is important as the private sector, including energy producers, transporters, financers, and consumers as well as relevant NGOs, provide essential perspective on the real impact of proposed policy and regulatory measures on actual markets, consumption patterns and productivity.
• In 2008, ABAC sponsored publication of the Strategic Framework for Energy Security in APEC, a document designed to guide APEC’s energy security work.  From our perspective much remains to be done to implement many of the recommendations contained in this document.
• In the near term, we encourage APEC governments to focus on improving efficiency and conservation as a cost effective approach that can be broadly applied across the spectrum of supply and demand.  Expansion and diversification of energy resources remains an important piece of any comprehensive energy security approach.  APEC should work to secure wider use of low-carbon fossil fuels, including promoting the use of natural gas and development of gas transport infrastructure.
• Nuclear energy is appropriate for many economies as a low emissions source of power generation.  ABAC supports consideration of nuclear energy and studies into its feasibility in APEC individual economies. 
• We recommend Ministers undertake to study the possibility of establishing an APEC or Asian futures market in gas.
• A comprehensive approach must include efforts to manage demand through conservation and efficiency efforts.  This should include emphasis on improving the energy efficiency of power plants, promoting conservation and efficiency in buildings, and development of a common labelling system to promote dissemination of energy efficient products, including home appliances and IT products. 
• It is important to prioritise development of standard metrics to assess efficiency, preferably by sector, to assist in measuring progress and quantify results.  We encourage Ministers to commit to establishing an APEC-wide common understanding of terminology, standards and best practices for measuring efficiency.  Eliminating distortions and promoting efficiencies in energy markets must also be a cornerstone of a strategic approach to improving energy security.  Recognising that in a group as diverse as APEC, complete harmonisation of standards is very difficult, we feel that in the near term, a focus on transparency and information sharing in this area may be a more practical goal.
• Expanded emphasis on developing “clean” energy and promoting innovation in energy and related technologies is a final core pillar to a complete APEC energy security approach.  Such development must involve close cooperation with government through public-private partnerships and regulatory framework that encourages private sector investment.
• APEC economies should complement UNFCCC principles and processes by endorsing the development of an APEC Low-Carbon Pathfinder Scheme.  The Scheme would be based on the successful APEC formula of voluntary, non-binding, open regionalism.  Under such a Scheme, low-carbon policy measures by each APEC economy would be systematically and transparently prioritised and reviewed, with reports published annually or biennially so as to share experiences with other APEC economies.
• APEC must continue to recognise that regional energy security strategies must be developed and implemented in the context of the overall global energy security situation.  As such, relevant APEC agencies and sub-fora should coordinate closely with energy-related international organisations to ensure synchronicity of effort and maximise the potential for collaborative progress.

 

The letter is signed by ABAC 2010 Chair, Gempachiro Aihara, on behalf of the group.

 

For more information, contact: mitsuiabac@mitsui.com or media@apec.org

Timely business training for business development officers

Participants and trainers are all smiles after the graduation

By MALUM NALU

More than 30 business development officers (BDOs) from throughout Papua New Guinea graduated from an International Labour Organisation – Start Improve Your Business training of trainers and refresher training of trainers seminar at the Granville Hotel in Port Moresby last Friday.
ILO’s internationally-recognised SIYB is one of the few internationally-recognised business courses in PNG and is run by SBDC.
The SIYB programme is recognised in 48 countries, including PNG, which had the benefit of four internationally-recognised master trainers who conducted the two-week seminar.
The seminar was a capacity building training programme for provincial and district BDOs.
A total of over 30 provincial and district BDOs attended.
This seminar was a result of findings from the 2009 provincial commerce advisors conference in Alotau that identified many impediments that incapacitate BDOs in respective provinces to provide and deliver services for the development and growth of the SME sector in the provinces.
SBDC, as the lead implementing agency for SME development and growth in the country, took this initiative to up-skill the BDOs to:
• Effectively provide assistance to small business women and men to start and improve small-scale businesses;
• Participate actively in economic development projects; and
• Businesses and spin-off activities created by the large resource development projects.