Chamber slams fights

THE Port Moresby Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PMCCI) has described the recent spate of ethnic clashes in the nation’s capital as barbaric and primitive behaviour by uncivilised people, The National reports.

In a statement yesterday, the chamber said the causes were often petty, and could be solved quickly and efficiently by a police force which should be equipped and committed to stamping out such behaviour.

“Gordon Market should be one of the premier markets in the city, but it is in an anarchic state; a battleground for various groups from the highlands vying for economic supremacy in an area which is literally a stone’s throw away from the police station. How can the Lae City Market operate so efficiently when NCD’s cannot?

“The various groups from the resource areas hanging around town are a large part of the problem.

“Let’s be honest – do we really believe the money they are seeking is for ‘business grants’ or ‘seed capital’? It is pocket-money that is being spent in bars and brothels, and is fueling the increase in public drinking and offensive behaviour.”

The chamber added that such behaviour at  markets were out of control and just tinder boxes waiting for some drunkard to bump someone or step on someone’s produce and we have World War III triggered by opportunistic and armed young men.

PMCCI said if police were under-resourced then City Hall should step in by engaging heavy security provided by qualified security companies who were instructed to exercise a zero tolerance policy on those causing trouble and allow the law-abiding public to get on with their lives peacefully.

“We despair of our police getting a handle on such clashes – we have yet to see one person charged – yet  crimes committed, such as beheading and mutilation, are beyond belief in the capital city,” the statement said.

PMCCI called on police and Governor Powes Parkop to lead a crackdown into public drunkenness, threatening, abusive language and carrying of weapons such as bush knives in the city’s confines saying, “We have had enough, and the streets and our markets belong to decent people.”

 

set baseline and data on what was on the ground.

Industrial park planned for Gulf

By ANCILLA WRAKUALE

 

GULF will see the development of an industrial park project that will cater for all the resource project activities in the province like the PNG LNG Project in partnership with Inter-Oil and Energy World International, The National reports.

Gulf Governor Havila Kavo revealed this at a media conference yesterday.

Kavo said extensive studies such as social mapping and environmental studies are underway in projected impacted areas to establish snapshots on the likely impacts and other issues to allow for equal participation from the people.

“We hope the industrial park would help Gulf citizens and PNG at large,” said Kavo.

He said PNG is blessed with vast resources and these resources should be used to industrialise PNG.

Gulf has established a business arm called Gulf Oil and Gas Company (GOGC) which is solely responsible for resource development projects in the province.

GOGC chief executive Mark Baia said they were doing checks and balances to ensure that everyone was included in the projects and that relevant studies and awareness were conducted before the implementation.

Baia highlighted that once everything came into place, they were also looking at developing key such as airport and deep water port facilities and housing infrastructure.

He said they were looking at improving cash economy such as local coffee processing and coconut production for the people.

Also yesterday, two consultants who would be engaged in carrying out marine and ecological studies in the impacted areas around Ihu, Baimuru and Kikori were commissioned.

Prominent marine biologist Pochon Lili said he was honoured to be included in the project and that it was vital the studies should be conducted to set baseline and data on what was on the ground.

LNG project No.2 signed

First gas shipment scheduled for 2013

By BOSORINA ROBBY

THE second LNG project in PNG, led by InterOil Ltd, has set a tentative date for its first gas shipment at the end of 2013, one year ahead of the ExxonMobil-led PNG LNG project, The National reports.

Gulf Governor Havila Kavo (left) and InterOil chairman and SPI 208 director Phil Mulacek signing the project funding, construction and shareholders agreement on behalf of the people of Gulf and the three InterOil partners yesterday. At right from Mulacek are Treasurer Peter O’Neill, Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare and Petroleum and Energy Minister William Duma. – Nationalpic by EKAR KEAPU

This was revealed by partner Liquid Niugini Gas Ltd (LNGL) chief executive officer Henry Aldorf yesterday at the signing of the project funding and construction agreement and a shareholders agreement between LNGL, South Pacific InterOil (SPI 208), Energy World Corporation (EWC) and Gulf Governor Havila Kavo.
The signing was witnessed by Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare, Petroleum and Energy Minister William Duma, Finance and Treasury Minister Peter O’Neill and Internal Security Minister Mark Maipakai.
Yesterday’s event essentially marked the launch of construction of the US$4 billion three million tonne per annum (mtpa) land-based LNG plant in Gulf. It would be developed in two phrases – 2mtpa and 1mtpa expansion.
These agreements followed an announcement last September of a partnership between Pacific LNG Operations Ltd and EWC.
Aldorf explained that the LNG plant would be built economically, compared with other new LNG projects and would provide the Asian market with clean energy.
He said this was due to a new financial modular that was developed with other partners to ensure the second LNG would deliver in record time.
He thanked the partners involved in the project and the landowners and provincial and national governments for their assistance in making the project come to reality.
InterOil chairman and SPI 208 director Phil Mulacek explained that the timeline for the project was set to start selling the LNG from the Elk Antelope fields, beginning at a cost of US$450 million per million tonne.
EWC CEO Stewart Elliott said the project could be seen as having two parts – hardware and software.
“The hardware refers to the equipment, pipelines, the plant and the LNG shipment and finding new markets in Asia.
“We are looking to develop a receiving terminal in the Asian market to cater for the 20 million tonnes of gas we produce,” he said.
The software part involved the people of Gulf who had been in close contact with the company from the beginning, because they wanted the project to improve their lives.
Elliott said no one has opposed the project because they see the benefits they will get including business opportunities, education and other infrastructure facilities.
“You have our assurance that we will do our utmost to care for the people,” he said.
The partnership was that SPI 208 would be in charge of the Elk Antelope fields while LNGL would construct the pipelines and would also work with EWC to build the LNG plant off the coast of Gulf.
The plant would process an estimated 2.25 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of natural gas over 15 years.
In return for its commitment to fully fund the plant, the agreements provided that EWC was entitled to a fee of 14.5% of the proceeds from the sale of LNG, less agreed deductions and subject to adjustments based on timing and execution.
The agreements provided a framework for the possible expansion of the plant’s capacity to 8mtpa of LNG.
In monetary terms, Mulacek explained that since it would cost US$450 million per million tonne, this would be US$450 million multiplied by the 8mtpa the LNG is capable of producing, which should be around US$4,000 million (US$4 billion)

The strength of women farmers in Papua New Guinea

By BARBARA TOMI of NARI
A recently-completed survey conducted under the project ‘Improving Business Acumen for PNG Women Smallholders In Horticulture’ has unearthed some very enterprising women who have quietly been producing and marketing some of the country’s best local fruit, vegetables and niche products.

Marey Yogiyo displays a sample of her Bauka packaged coffee.-Pictures by CATHY MCGOWAN

Many of them have been growing and processing these foods under the radar with little support other than that of their family members in order to meet their immediate needs.
Some of these enterprising women found in the Central province are growing the juiciest water melons in that part of the region; in Morobe they are raising sheep for wool and keeping bees for honey; and in the highlands these women are flooding the markets with temperate cut flowers and growing, training and supplying African yam seeds and packaging home-grown organic coffee for export.

Maria Linibi and Cathy McGowan visits bilum sellers of Goroka town and urge them to join the PNGWiADF network

These women came together from their respective regions to participate in a survey conducted by Cathy McGowan and Val Lang from the Australian Women in Agriculture to map out the membership of women’s peak agriculture body in the country, the Papua New Guinea Women in Agricultural Development Foundation (PNGWiADF), to determine the organisation’s current institutional arrangements and the women’s expectations of the organisation, identify governance issues affecting PNGWiADF and the support they need from the organisation.

Members of registered groups represented in the Eastern Highlands Women in Agriculture with members of the survey team

McGowan and Lang were assisted by project partners, Fresh Produce Development Agency (FPDA) and National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI).
PNGWiADF President Maria Linibi facilitated the survey of various groups.
A report of this activity will be put together by McGowan to present to the project leader, Prof Barbara Chambers from the University of Canberra to submit to the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), who funded the project.

Specialist African yam grower Jennifa Kena displays some of the yams she presented as gifts to new members of EHWiA

Over 20 registered groups, 10 individual members and hordes of interested women and men attended and participated in the survey, expressing their personal experiences and recommending ways PNGWiADF can best serve their interest to promote locally-grown foods and vegetables, flowers and tree crops.
Most of the women farmers said good communication systems, training, access to markets and credit facilities were a major hindrance to their success.

Meeting members in the Central province

For instance, Julie Anton travelled from Mt Wilhelm to Goroka to participate, hoping that PNGWiADF would network her to a market for her highlands orchids.
Another woman from Garaina in the south of Morobe province walked for nearly a week to reach members of her group from Bulolo district, then travelled together to Lae to participate in the survey; she was determined to actively participate and express her group’s need to be trained to grow quality vegetables to be able to tap into a ready growing market in their area, the mining townships of Bulolo and Wau.
Budding entrepreneur Marey Yogiyo attended the gathering in Goroka as an interested coffee farmer but with the burning desire to encourage other coffee farmers to drink their own coffee.
Yogiyo and her family grow organic coffee in the Aiyura Valley of Eastern Highlands and process and package it for sale in retail shops.
Since it is a new brand, the Bauka Blue Kofi is up against the established brands such as the Kongo Coffee, Goroka Coffee Roasters and Sigri Coffee.
So far she has secured Bintangor Trading in Goroka to sell her product.
These women are a few finds from the survey and there are more to be discovered.
The survey team was pleased with the information collected so far which will go a long way in identifying strategies to address women’s issues and to make them equal partners in agricultural development.
As part of the report, the survey team will recommend to the project initiators a capacity training that will address an area that has been raised by various groups.
The onus will be on PNGWiADF to use the information to be responsive to the needs of women and continue to raise their issues to the various pillars of government as the national mouthpiece of women food producers.
A full report of the survey will be available in May.

Farmers want simple extension materials

By SOLDIER BURUKA of DAL
Kamba villagers in Madang province say agricultural information and extension materials should be made more simple and easier for farmers to read and understand.

Kamba farmers study samples of extension materials produced by the workshop participants and voice their approval

The villagers, mostly farmers who grow all kinds of food crops, as well as produce coffee, cocoa and others like spices and balsa, told participants of a sub-regional training course on production of extension materials held in Madang recently that appropriate information and extension materials and regular extension visits were important to support the rural farmers and boost the sector.
The workshop participants from Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands, under the auspices of CTA and IRETA, spent a few days interviewing farmers and discussing their requirements for extension materials and information.
Based on the interviews and discussions, the participants prepared a number of materials including booklets, pamphlets, brochures, posters and others which they took back and presented to the farmers.
Kamba farmers were impressed with the materials produced by the participants saying that they would like more of the materials to be produced and widely distributed to boost agriculture productivity.
The materials produced covered topics such as control of taro leaf blight and taro beetle, pruning cocoa to increase yield, and formation of farming co-operative associations and came in the form of booklets, brochures, posters and other materials.
They said that they were always busy doing other things and many of them also understood little English.
They preferred extension materials in a form that was simple and understood by everybody.
After the completion of the two-week training, the course facilitators from CTA and IRETA handed over all the extension materials to the farmers and Madang provincial agriculture division to distribute to others as well.

Manus islanders take to farming

By JAMES LARAKI of NARI

Community members clearing land to plant sweet potato and cassava on M’Buke Island

Growing food crops is a difficult task on islands and atolls and the M’Buke Island in the Manus Province is no exception.
Efforts are being made to encourage M’Buke Islanders to grow their own food, thanks to the collaborative efforts of the PNG Sustainable Development Program Ltd (PNGSDP) and the National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI).
Under a two-year food security project, NARI is introducing improved crop and livestock varieties in an effort to encourage the islanders to grow their food.
NARI-released technologies to be transferred under this project include: African yam, NARI taro, drought-tolerant and high-yield cassava varieties, corn, lowland land early maturing sweet potato varieties, Muscovy ducks and other vegetables.
Located on the south east of Manus Province, M’Buke Island has a population of about 700 people and food shortage is a common problem.
The islanders, who depend on marine resources for their livelihood, will now be able to grow their own food with planting materials and training on crop and livestock production, and on simple processing techniques provided by NARI.
This food security project funded by PNGSDP is aimed at alleviating the current food shortages and malnutrition problems by improving crop and livestock production on a sustainable basis.
To kick-start the project on the island, a baseline survey was undertaken last June and planting materials of the improved varieties are being supplied to the island from the NARI Southern regional centre based at Laloki.
The project, which is being implemented in partnership with the Manus Investment Peoples Association and the provincial Department of Agriculture, has created interest among the islanders to grow their own food.
A resource centre would be established from where planting materials and other information would be distributed from.
It is hoped that the outcomes of this project will also benefit other communities on the neighboring islands and mainland Manus as well.
NARI is carrying two other similar projects funded by PNGSDP in the Rabaraba district of Milne Bay and Morehead in Western province.

Jiwaka kaukau show on tomorrow in Minj

By JOSEPHINE YAGI of NARI

Youths watch attentively as Sr Louisa of the Catholic Church conducts food processing training at Don Bosco in Minj last year

Sweet potato (kaukau) accounts for 63% of the dietary energy of the population and is becoming the mainstay of the country's food security.
Current production is more than three million tonnes per annum.
The biggest challenge facing the village communities in Papua New Guinea is knowledge on possible products from sweet potato that can be developed for the retail market.
Traditional technologies are no longer capable of producing products that are better quality for the retail markets.
To address some of these issues, a kaukau fair will be held tomorrow (Thursday) at the Anglimp South Wagi district administration office in Minj, Western Highlands.
The fair is funded under the Australian Centre for Integrated Agricultural Research (ACIAR) post-harvest and marketing project and is the first of its kind that will be facilitated by key stakeholders including Lilly Be’soer group (RWDI), Sr Louisa’s groups, Jiwaka interim administration, National Agriculture Research Institute NARI) and Fresh Produce Development Agency (FPDA).
Participating groups and individuals are expected from in and around the Jiwaka region.
“Kaukau fair is one of the projects of the technical component projects of ACIAR sweet potato post-harvest management and marketing, which is the main initiator of the projects,” said NARI post-harvest project leader Anton Mais.
“The fair focuses on the idea of identifying possible sweet potato products to link with training to be held in March.
“It offers a variety of ideas and information on various sweet potato processing practices and attendees will gain valuable information for their well being.
“The expected output of the project is to identify and develop sweet potato products to exhibit during the fair and conducting evaluation to assess the potential link to the training.”
Activities apart from speeches include food exhibitions by groups and individuals, judging of food entries by judges, taste panel of kaukau products, evaluation of major products and award presentations of the best products.
‘The kaukau fair concept is new in PNG and it plays a central role in the value chain, as it reinforces and develops the fundamental linkage between agriculture and the industry or market access improvement, thus creating a more favorable environment for spin-off business development,” Mais said.
“As such, we would like to utilise the concept of kaukau fair as a helpful event to get the women and vendors thinking about processing sweet potato products."
The kaukau fair starts at 10am tomorrow with an open invitation to everyone and and around Jiwaka to attend.