RAMU Sugar’s parent company, Ramu Agri Industries Ltd (RAIL), has welcomed the expression of support for sugar production in Ramu Valley made by Morobe Governor Luther Wenge following his statements made in the media regarding RAIL’s involvement in oil palm and the increasing cost of sugar prices experienced lately, The National reports.
The company said they looked forward to the Morobe government’s assistance in protecting the production of domestic sugar in the years to come, without needing to phase out sugar production.
Responding to recent media reports, RAIL has stated that the company has invested heavily in the sugar enterprise at Ramu since the acquisition by New Britain Palm Oil Ltd (NBPOL) in late 2008.
It said that during 2009-10, nearly K18 million had been spent on improvements in the sugar factory and refitting the plant and field machinery in the sugar cane production operation.
RAIL said another K7 million had been budgeted for capital improvements to the sugar enterprise for this year and also the land under sugar cane production had remained stable but planting of new canes in the field has increased in an effort to increase production.
The management also refuted claims by Wenge that the company was not giving priority to sugar production, stating that the government had detailed plans to remove protection from domestic sugar production and expose the people of PNG to the wildly fluctuating prices in recent weeks.
RAIL said the Treasury department was informed of the high level of investment that was being undertaken to secure sugar production.
The statement said the company invested in planting thousands of hectares of oil palm on land that was previously used for rough cattle grazing at Gusap.
The acquisition of additional land near Umi, for an expansion of oil palm, had allowed for oil palm development without reducing land committed for sugar production.
NBPOL has invested heavily in sugar, beef and oil palm which had increased employment at a rate never before seen in the Ramu Valley during the past two years and invited Treasury and Finance Minister Peter O’Neill and Wenge to visit and see the company’s commitment for sustainable, agricultural development in PNG.
Friday, April 08, 2011
Thursday, April 07, 2011
Young Papua New Guinea scientist uncovers huge untapped potential for kaukau
By MALUM NALU
Joel Waramboi from Kubalia, East Sepik province, is one of Papua New Guinea’s most highly-qualified experts in food science, post-harvest technology, starch, processing and quality management of food and alternative food and cash crops.
He also has experience in agricultural production and farming systems.
Waramboi is now breaking new ground with his research into kaukau (sweet potato), PNG’s most widely-grown food crop, while undergoing further studies in Australia.
“Although production data on our food crops remain sketchy, available information shows that, PNG produces about 2.9 million tonnes of sweet potato, 700,000 tonnes of banana, 300,000 tonnes of yams, 350,000 tonnes of taro and 80,000 tonnes of cassava annually,” he says.
“Globally, sweet potato is one of the most-important root crops, with more than 133 million tonnes produced annually.
“It is a staple food for millions of people and the seventh most-abundant crop after wheat, rice, maize, potato, barley and cassava.
“In PNG, of the large volume produced, less than 1% is sold in domestic markets and hardly any quantity is either processed or exported.
“So where does the 99% of the crop go to?
“It simply ends up in the cooking pot”
Waramboi has a bachelor of science degree (with merit) from University of Technology (Unitech) in Lae specialising in food technology, and a master of science degree (with merit) in post-harvest technology from the University of Greenwich, United Kingdom.
The 37-year-old will be completing his doctor of philosophy (PhD) degree in 2012 at the University of Queensland (UQ), Australia.
Waramboi is a senior scientist with the National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI), and conducts applied and adaptive research on post-harvest and processing aspects of food crops, alternative and emerging food and cash crops and natural resource management issues.
Currently he is with the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture & Food Innovation, a leading research organisation within the UQ researching on food and nutrition issues.
Waramboi has vast experience in implementing research and development projects.
He has conducted research, training and outreach activities with farmers and organisations around PNG.
In 2005, he implemented a project funded by the Agriculture Innovations Grant Scheme (AIGS) of the Australian government and trained national and provincial agriculture staff on proper vanilla curing and quality management aspects in West Sepik, East Sepik and Milne Bay provinces.
One of his notable contributions to PNG is the development and release of four improved rice varieties.
Besides his input on rice production research, he implemented a project on evaluation of the eating qualities of rice varieties in several locations around PNG.
“Based on these studies, four rice varieties, namely NR1, NR9, NR15 and NR16 were released by NARI to the PNG farming community in May 2004,” Waramboi recalls.
“These varieties are now grown by farmers around the country.”
Waramboi has also worked on processing and value-addition of PNG staple foods like kaukau and taro by processing them into products like flour, chips, crisps and ice cream.
He has also done some product development work on coconut and fruit (pineapple, pawpaw, carambola) jam, peanut butter, roasted peanuts, imitation milk (peanut, soy bean) and starch extraction (cassava and sago). Some of these technologies have been tested with farmers, and all have the potential to be adopted and up-scaled by individuals or cottage industries in PNG.
Waramboi has the ability to put good project ideas and proposals for donor funding.
Some of his contributions have won major funding support from organisations like the Autralian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and the public investment programme (PIP) of the PNG national government.
His profession has taken him abroad to several countries.
In 2002, he attended an international training course on seed storage and germplasm conservation in Beijing, China.
In 2007, he attended another course in Changchun, China on corn and starch processing technology looking at starch extraction, modification and processing into food and industrial products like plastics, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, cosmetics and textiles.
Later that year, he was part of the PNG government delegation to Malaysia on the sago commercialisation project for PNG.
Waramboi has published papers both locally and internationally.
Within NARI, he has published six Toktoks or extension leaflets on rice post-harvest technologies.
In 2003, he published a technical bulletin on the physico-chemical and eating qualities of rice.
In 2005, he published a paper in the Journal of Agriculture, Foresty and Fisheries with DAL followed by an article in the Rice Relay with Trukai Industries Ltd.
From his current PhD studies on kaukau, he has published several papers.
In 2009, his first research paper on flour and starch properties of PNG and Australian varieties was presented at the International Potato Centre in Lima, Peru.
Early this year, he published a paper in the journal Food Chemistry, a high-impact journal of Elsevier Publishers, England.
He has submitted another paper on starch digestion in kaukau to Carbohydrate Polymers which should be available for public consumption by mid 2011.
In February this year, he also presented two papers at the Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology conference in Brisbane.
In his current research, he has extensively studied 25 varieties of kaukau for their flour and starch properties, nutritional value, processing parameters (temperature, moisture, heat transfer etc), granule structure, pasting, gelatinisation, and digestibility behaviours of these varieties.
In the digestion studies, his research will be the first to develop an in-vitro (test tube) technique to model digestion behaviours in these varieties.
“The study is also the first to identify and report resistant starch (RS) in several PNG sweet potato varieties like L3 and L135 which are beneficial for human health.” Waramboi says.
“When sweet potato is consumed, the RS basically escapes digestion in the small intestine, and gets fermented into fatty acids in the colon (large intestine) to help reduce lifestyle diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity, which are now becoming so common in PNG.”
Waramboi is also researching into carotene (the yellow/orange pigments that give colour to fruits and vegetables) in kaukau.
“Carotenoids are pro-vitamins, and when converted in vitamin A, they have beneficial health effects like prevention of night blindness” he explains.
“In Africa, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has funded several projects to promote coloured flesh sweet potato varieties in schools and villages, and similar projects can be done in PNG to promote coloured flesh sweet potato, for example, kerot, for their natural goodness and health properties.”
He has also successfully developed extruded snack foods from flours of white and orange fleshed varieties using extrusion processing technology.
“This research has enabled me to optimise process control parameters like moisture contents, screw speed, temperature, heat flow and expansion properties to get high quality and ready-to-eat snack foods from sweet potato,” Waramboi adds.
“Low-cost extrusion technologies are available, and can be introduced to villages in PNG.
“My research is also looking at nutrient retention in processed products because some nutrients like protein, minerals and carotene can be lost during processing, especially at high temperatures.”
Waramboi continues to work hard, and is satisfied, both personally and professionally with his achievements and contributions to PNG.
He would like to see more young people making a career in science because most countries now are prospering through innovations and interventions and science and technology.
Waramboi was born on Feb 5, 1974, to illiterate and subsistence parents from Paparom village, Kubalia, East Sepik.
He did his grades one to six from 1982-1987 at Sassoya Primary School, grades seven to 10 from 1988-1991 at Brandi High School in East Sepik Province, and grades 11 to 12 at Aiyura National High School in Eastern Highlands from 1992-1993.
From 1994-1997, Waramboi studied for his bachelor of science degree at Unitech.
After graduation, he was employed as a trainee manager with Andersons Foodland, eventually managing its wholesale department.
He resigned in October 1999.
In February 2000, he joined the first batch of NARI cadet scientists and eventually became a permanent staff in late 2002 with the institute.
From 2003-2004 he did his masters degree in England and in 2009, started his PhD in Australia.
Interested persons can contact him on j.waramboi@uq.edu.au
Joel Waramboi from Kubalia, East Sepik province, is one of Papua New Guinea’s most highly-qualified experts in food science, post-harvest technology, starch, processing and quality management of food and alternative food and cash crops.
 |
Joel Waramboi working in the laboratory
|
Waramboi is now breaking new ground with his research into kaukau (sweet potato), PNG’s most widely-grown food crop, while undergoing further studies in Australia.
“Although production data on our food crops remain sketchy, available information shows that, PNG produces about 2.9 million tonnes of sweet potato, 700,000 tonnes of banana, 300,000 tonnes of yams, 350,000 tonnes of taro and 80,000 tonnes of cassava annually,” he says.
“Globally, sweet potato is one of the most-important root crops, with more than 133 million tonnes produced annually.
“It is a staple food for millions of people and the seventh most-abundant crop after wheat, rice, maize, potato, barley and cassava.
 |
Kaukau flour
|
“So where does the 99% of the crop go to?
“It simply ends up in the cooking pot”
 |
Kaukau variety Beauregard
|
The 37-year-old will be completing his doctor of philosophy (PhD) degree in 2012 at the University of Queensland (UQ), Australia.
Waramboi is a senior scientist with the National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI), and conducts applied and adaptive research on post-harvest and processing aspects of food crops, alternative and emerging food and cash crops and natural resource management issues.
Currently he is with the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture & Food Innovation, a leading research organisation within the UQ researching on food and nutrition issues.
Waramboi has vast experience in implementing research and development projects.
He has conducted research, training and outreach activities with farmers and organisations around PNG.
In 2005, he implemented a project funded by the Agriculture Innovations Grant Scheme (AIGS) of the Australian government and trained national and provincial agriculture staff on proper vanilla curing and quality management aspects in West Sepik, East Sepik and Milne Bay provinces.
 |
Kaukau variety Beerwah Gold
|
Besides his input on rice production research, he implemented a project on evaluation of the eating qualities of rice varieties in several locations around PNG.
“Based on these studies, four rice varieties, namely NR1, NR9, NR15 and NR16 were released by NARI to the PNG farming community in May 2004,” Waramboi recalls.
“These varieties are now grown by farmers around the country.”
Waramboi has also worked on processing and value-addition of PNG staple foods like kaukau and taro by processing them into products like flour, chips, crisps and ice cream.
He has also done some product development work on coconut and fruit (pineapple, pawpaw, carambola) jam, peanut butter, roasted peanuts, imitation milk (peanut, soy bean) and starch extraction (cassava and sago). Some of these technologies have been tested with farmers, and all have the potential to be adopted and up-scaled by individuals or cottage industries in PNG.
Waramboi has the ability to put good project ideas and proposals for donor funding.
Some of his contributions have won major funding support from organisations like the Autralian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and the public investment programme (PIP) of the PNG national government.
His profession has taken him abroad to several countries.
In 2002, he attended an international training course on seed storage and germplasm conservation in Beijing, China.
In 2007, he attended another course in Changchun, China on corn and starch processing technology looking at starch extraction, modification and processing into food and industrial products like plastics, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, cosmetics and textiles.
Later that year, he was part of the PNG government delegation to Malaysia on the sago commercialisation project for PNG.
Waramboi has published papers both locally and internationally.
Within NARI, he has published six Toktoks or extension leaflets on rice post-harvest technologies.
In 2003, he published a technical bulletin on the physico-chemical and eating qualities of rice.
In 2005, he published a paper in the Journal of Agriculture, Foresty and Fisheries with DAL followed by an article in the Rice Relay with Trukai Industries Ltd.
From his current PhD studies on kaukau, he has published several papers.
 |
Kaukau variety Kestle
|
Early this year, he published a paper in the journal Food Chemistry, a high-impact journal of Elsevier Publishers, England.
He has submitted another paper on starch digestion in kaukau to Carbohydrate Polymers which should be available for public consumption by mid 2011.
In February this year, he also presented two papers at the Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology conference in Brisbane.
In his current research, he has extensively studied 25 varieties of kaukau for their flour and starch properties, nutritional value, processing parameters (temperature, moisture, heat transfer etc), granule structure, pasting, gelatinisation, and digestibility behaviours of these varieties.
In the digestion studies, his research will be the first to develop an in-vitro (test tube) technique to model digestion behaviours in these varieties.
“The study is also the first to identify and report resistant starch (RS) in several PNG sweet potato varieties like L3 and L135 which are beneficial for human health.” Waramboi says.
“When sweet potato is consumed, the RS basically escapes digestion in the small intestine, and gets fermented into fatty acids in the colon (large intestine) to help reduce lifestyle diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity, which are now becoming so common in PNG.”
Waramboi is also researching into carotene (the yellow/orange pigments that give colour to fruits and vegetables) in kaukau.
“Carotenoids are pro-vitamins, and when converted in vitamin A, they have beneficial health effects like prevention of night blindness” he explains.
“In Africa, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has funded several projects to promote coloured flesh sweet potato varieties in schools and villages, and similar projects can be done in PNG to promote coloured flesh sweet potato, for example, kerot, for their natural goodness and health properties.”
He has also successfully developed extruded snack foods from flours of white and orange fleshed varieties using extrusion processing technology.
“This research has enabled me to optimise process control parameters like moisture contents, screw speed, temperature, heat flow and expansion properties to get high quality and ready-to-eat snack foods from sweet potato,” Waramboi adds.
“Low-cost extrusion technologies are available, and can be introduced to villages in PNG.
“My research is also looking at nutrient retention in processed products because some nutrients like protein, minerals and carotene can be lost during processing, especially at high temperatures.”
Waramboi continues to work hard, and is satisfied, both personally and professionally with his achievements and contributions to PNG.
He would like to see more young people making a career in science because most countries now are prospering through innovations and interventions and science and technology.
Waramboi was born on Feb 5, 1974, to illiterate and subsistence parents from Paparom village, Kubalia, East Sepik.
He did his grades one to six from 1982-1987 at Sassoya Primary School, grades seven to 10 from 1988-1991 at Brandi High School in East Sepik Province, and grades 11 to 12 at Aiyura National High School in Eastern Highlands from 1992-1993.
From 1994-1997, Waramboi studied for his bachelor of science degree at Unitech.
After graduation, he was employed as a trainee manager with Andersons Foodland, eventually managing its wholesale department.
He resigned in October 1999.
In February 2000, he joined the first batch of NARI cadet scientists and eventually became a permanent staff in late 2002 with the institute.
From 2003-2004 he did his masters degree in England and in 2009, started his PhD in Australia.
Interested persons can contact him on j.waramboi@uq.edu.au
World Bank launches cocoa project
By SOLDIER BURUKA
A World Bank-funded agriculture development project launched this week will be a major boost for smallholder cocoa and coffee farmers.
Cocoa and coffee are two of the country’s most-important agricultural commodities and with the formal launching of the Productive Partnerships in Agriculture Project (PPAP); it should contribute to a positive impact in the social and economic wellbeing of the majority of the rural population.
PPAP, supported by the World Bank, International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) and PNG Government, will benefit coffee and cocoa institutions, the smallholder producers and the smallholders in market access and is anticipated to improve performance at all value chains and public-private partnerships.
The formal launching of the PPAP took place in Kokopo on Tuesday, April 5, attended by World Bank and government officials, agricultural agencies, farmer organisations and farmers, followed by a similar launching the next day.
The coffee component will be launched in Goroka next week followed by a national launching in Port Moresby.
At the Kokopo launching, Minister for Higher Education and acting Agriculture Minister Paru Aihi told a big gathering at the Gazelle International Hotel that it was not only fitting but also significant that the World Bank and IFAD had chosen the two most-important commodities that directly influenced the economic wellbeing of the rural communities.
He said it was also the Somare-Abal government’s desire to ensure that majority of the rural population that depends on cocoa and coffee must ultimately be the beneficiaries.
“The government has created a conducive political and economic environment which has resulted in the confidence of such highly-esteemed bodies like the World Bank and IFAD to fund this project, “he said.
Aihi said the government recognised that PPAP would contribute to growth of our agricultural export industries, enhancement of smallholder income, and rehabilitation of market access infrastructure, and called on all stakeholders involved in the implementation process to work together.
As far as cocoa is concerned, Aihi said this was a massive investment over 20 years after the smallholder cocoa and coconut rehabilitation program in the 1980s which saw cocoa production averaging 30,000 to 40,000 tonnes.
Through PPAP, he expected increased cocoa production and revitalisation of support services including marketing and transportation.
Aihi expressed his gratitude to the World Bank and IFAD for their assistance and indicated that the government had committed a total of K5 million to support the project over its six-year period.
World Bank representative, Charles Feinsten, said PPAP would improve the incomes and livelihoods of smallholder coffee and cocoa farmers by: building relationships between farmers and agri-business for better access to markets, technologies, and services; strengthening industry coordination; and providing access roads and wharves to ensure coffee and cocoa producers could readily get to markets.
The project will directly help local farmers, offering training and support, assisting them to adopt better farming practices.
Community consultations will continue to take place throughout the duration of the project in order to build true partnerships and ensure sustainability.
The project will initially take place in areas where rural household dependency on coffee and cocoa income is high, especially East New Britain Province, the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, Eastern Highlands Province, Western Highlands Province, Jiwaka Province and Simbu province.
The possibility of expanding into other provinces will be reviewed during the second year of the project, and again during the fourth.
A World Bank-funded agriculture development project launched this week will be a major boost for smallholder cocoa and coffee farmers.
 |
Acting Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Paru Aihi cuts the ribbon to formally launch the World Bank and PNG Government funded PPAP in Kokopo. Looking on is World Bank sustainable development manager Charles Feinsten.
|
PPAP, supported by the World Bank, International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) and PNG Government, will benefit coffee and cocoa institutions, the smallholder producers and the smallholders in market access and is anticipated to improve performance at all value chains and public-private partnerships.
The formal launching of the PPAP took place in Kokopo on Tuesday, April 5, attended by World Bank and government officials, agricultural agencies, farmer organisations and farmers, followed by a similar launching the next day.
The coffee component will be launched in Goroka next week followed by a national launching in Port Moresby.
At the Kokopo launching, Minister for Higher Education and acting Agriculture Minister Paru Aihi told a big gathering at the Gazelle International Hotel that it was not only fitting but also significant that the World Bank and IFAD had chosen the two most-important commodities that directly influenced the economic wellbeing of the rural communities.
He said it was also the Somare-Abal government’s desire to ensure that majority of the rural population that depends on cocoa and coffee must ultimately be the beneficiaries.
“The government has created a conducive political and economic environment which has resulted in the confidence of such highly-esteemed bodies like the World Bank and IFAD to fund this project, “he said.
Aihi said the government recognised that PPAP would contribute to growth of our agricultural export industries, enhancement of smallholder income, and rehabilitation of market access infrastructure, and called on all stakeholders involved in the implementation process to work together.
As far as cocoa is concerned, Aihi said this was a massive investment over 20 years after the smallholder cocoa and coconut rehabilitation program in the 1980s which saw cocoa production averaging 30,000 to 40,000 tonnes.
 |
Acting Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Paru Aihi later took time out to visit current cocoa research programmes at Cocoa Coconut Institute at Tavilo. Here cocoa breeder Jeffrie Marfu explains work on high-yielding varieties as one way of stopping the cocoa pod borer disease.
|
Aihi expressed his gratitude to the World Bank and IFAD for their assistance and indicated that the government had committed a total of K5 million to support the project over its six-year period.
World Bank representative, Charles Feinsten, said PPAP would improve the incomes and livelihoods of smallholder coffee and cocoa farmers by: building relationships between farmers and agri-business for better access to markets, technologies, and services; strengthening industry coordination; and providing access roads and wharves to ensure coffee and cocoa producers could readily get to markets.
The project will directly help local farmers, offering training and support, assisting them to adopt better farming practices.
Community consultations will continue to take place throughout the duration of the project in order to build true partnerships and ensure sustainability.
The project will initially take place in areas where rural household dependency on coffee and cocoa income is high, especially East New Britain Province, the Autonomous Region of Bougainville, Eastern Highlands Province, Western Highlands Province, Jiwaka Province and Simbu province.
The possibility of expanding into other provinces will be reviewed during the second year of the project, and again during the fourth.
Coffee expert says national agriculture development plan living in ‘fantasy’ land
By MALUM NALU
A coffee industry expert has accused architects of the controversial National Agriculture Development Plan (NADP) of living in “fantasy” with their unrealistic projections for the industry.
Well-known coffee personality, David Rumbarumba, has joined cocoa, copra and palm oil in rubbishing unrealistic projections contained in the “realigned” NADP, which were provided to the Department of National Planning and Monitoring’s (DNPM) national development strategic plan 2030 (DSP 2030).
The NADP expects coffee to reach 500,000 metric tonnes in 2030 from 73, 868mt this year – a massive 700% increase.
This projection will also be part of the much-vaunted Vision 2050.
“Five hundred metric tonnes is 8, 333, 333 bags of green bean (exportable coffee),” said Rumbarumba, who is general manager of Awute Coffee Producers.
“This is more than 700% increase from current average of 73, 868mt (1, 231,133 bags).
“Correct current average volume is around 54,000mt, or 900, 000 bags – not even a million bags!
“Basing on this target, 500,000mt will be more than 900% achieved in 19 years!
“Wow!
“This target is ridiculously ambiguous and an unrealistic dream, or shall I say ‘fantasy’, by the government and its agents.
“Where does the DNPM and DAL get their data from?
“I can gurantee that such a volumetric target will not be achieved in 19 years or even 100 years, and I can certainly bet my life on that.”
Rumbarumba said only once in coffee’s 60-year history, in 1998 after the 1997 drought, did coffee achieve its biggest-ever production of 1.23 million bags, and it had since slumped
He said coffee was competing with other subsistence crops for land space, due to population growth, and there was no gurantee that there would be more plantings.
Rumbarumba said compounded by all the problems, the government had not even invested in coffee over the years, even leaving stakeholders to fund research and extension industry levy.
“A reasonable target for coffee in the next 20 years would be to double the volume from current 54,000mt (900,000 bags) to 110,00mt, or a target of two million bags,” he said.
“This was the industry’s target in its two five-year strategic plans 10 years ago, but it was not achieved, because the government failed to support the plan with funding of its programmes.
“We in the coffee industry believe two million bags can be achievable with right and consistent financial and policy support from the national government.”
Rumbarumba called on government to:
• Directly fund the Coffee Industry Corporation with K30-K40 million a year to reactivate research and extension programmes, industry regulations, farmer training and marketing programmes, coffee nursery developments, and coffee rehabilitation;
• Create a government ministry for commodities, separate from agriculture and livestock; and
• Create a commodities bank with open and soft lending policies.
World Bank-funded coffee project to be launched in Goroka
By MALUM NALU
The coffee segment of the Productive Partnership in Agriculture Project (PPAP) will be launched next Tuesday at the Mark Solon Auditorium of the University of Goroka.
PPAP is a joint World Bank and International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) - financed project covering both the cocoa and coffee sub-sectors.
The project commenced in January.
Project mobilisation was expected to be completed in last month, with the launching next Tuesday.
The development objective of the PPAP is to improve the livelihoods of smallholder cocoa and coffee producers through the improvement of the performance and sustainability of value chains in the cocoa and coffee-growing areas.
This will be achieved through strengthening industry coordination and institutions, facilitating linkages between smallholder farmers and agri-business for the provision of technologies and services, and through the provision of critical market access infrastructure.
The project will be launched by Finance and Treasury Minister Peter O’ Neill and witnessed by provincial and district administration staff and political heads from Western Highlands, Chimbu and Western Highlands provinces.
There will also be representation from coffee exporters, processors, plantations and the all-important smallholder growers.
Guests will include Eastern Highlands Governor Malcolm Kela Smith, Department of Agriculture and Livestock deputy secretary and PPAP project preparation team leader Francis Daink, as well as CIC board chairman and Eastern Highlands small growers’ chairman James Korarome, Western Highlands small growers’ chairman Peter Kewa, PNG blockholders’ chairman Pugma Kopi and Jiwaka small growers’ chairman James Koimo.
The coffee segment of the Productive Partnership in Agriculture Project (PPAP) will be launched next Tuesday at the Mark Solon Auditorium of the University of Goroka.
 |
A smallholder coffee growers’ field training in Wahgi Valley, Western Highlands province.Improving the livelihood of smallholder growers is one of the objectives of the PPAP.-Picture by MALUM NALU
|
The project commenced in January.
Project mobilisation was expected to be completed in last month, with the launching next Tuesday.
The development objective of the PPAP is to improve the livelihoods of smallholder cocoa and coffee producers through the improvement of the performance and sustainability of value chains in the cocoa and coffee-growing areas.
This will be achieved through strengthening industry coordination and institutions, facilitating linkages between smallholder farmers and agri-business for the provision of technologies and services, and through the provision of critical market access infrastructure.
The project will be launched by Finance and Treasury Minister Peter O’ Neill and witnessed by provincial and district administration staff and political heads from Western Highlands, Chimbu and Western Highlands provinces.
There will also be representation from coffee exporters, processors, plantations and the all-important smallholder growers.
Guests will include Eastern Highlands Governor Malcolm Kela Smith, Department of Agriculture and Livestock deputy secretary and PPAP project preparation team leader Francis Daink, as well as CIC board chairman and Eastern Highlands small growers’ chairman James Korarome, Western Highlands small growers’ chairman Peter Kewa, PNG blockholders’ chairman Pugma Kopi and Jiwaka small growers’ chairman James Koimo.
Pyrethrum has lots of potential for Papua New Guinea
By MALUM NALU
Pyrethrum is not a high-profile cash crop such as coffee; however, it is a potential money-spinner for 880,000 people dwelling in high altitude areas where coffee cannot grow.
Potential pyrethrum-growing areas include Laiagam, Kandep, Wabag and Wapenamanda areas of Enga province; Tambul of Western Highlands; Ialibu and Upper Mendi areas of Southern Highlands; Kerowagi, Gumine and Gembogl areas of Chimbu; and Okapa, Henganofi and Lufa areas of Eastern Highlands.
Pyrethrum (Tanacetum cinerariaefolium) is a daisy-like plant which is cultivated for the production of pyrethrins and insecticides (insect poison).
It has six active chemicals which do not harm people or animals and rapidly degrades in the environment (no residue problems), and has low risk of insect resistance
Currently, according to pyrethrum scientists Kud Sitango and Enopa Lindsay of the National Agriculture Research Institute, 90% of the pyrethrum is grown in Enga Province, with production having ceased in other pyrethrum-growing areas
People, however, can make money by growing pyrethrum, with current production estimated at 50-60 tonnes per year and generating income valued at about K150, 000 annually.
Most of this is from Laigam in Enga.
Sitango and Lindsay say pyrethrum is suitable a farm crop because:
• In PNG it is non-seasonal, all year-around crop;
• There are always flowers to harvest and sell;
• It can be stored;
• It can always be sold even though the price is not high;
• It can be grown in small plots or around the base of the kaukau (sweet potato) mound;
• It can be worked by hand labor alone and requires little capital,
• It is easy to grow because planting materials are readily available and easily obtained; and
• It is currently regarded as the “women and children’s crop” in Enga Province.
A four-year Australian Centre for Integrated Agriculture Research (ACIAR) pyrethrum project started in January 2007 and ended in December 2010, however, according to Sitango and Lindsay, “most of the planned activities were implemented partially completed due to lack of appropriate knowledge and supervision”.
“Pyrethrum was introduced into PNG on trial basis in the late 1950s and it became a good attractive cash crop for the highlands (above2, 000 metres),” they said in their ACIAR report.
“From the 1960s to the late 1980s, the pyrethrum industry played a major role in sustaining the livelihood of some 65-85,000 people in the highland areas.
“Local women, children and old people were the key workers in this industry and these important social groupings were the key beneficiaries from this industry.
“In 1995, the pyrethrum extraction factory that purchased the crop from the growers closed down and this resulted in a lot of primarily subsistence farmers losing their major source of cash income.
“In 2000-2001, the Enga provincial government purchased this extraction factory and spent some $A1.2 million to re-commission this factory.
“Pre-1995, all of the pyrethrum crude extract, called oleoresin, produced in PNG was sold to an American company.
“This marketing arrangement ceased when the factory closed in 1995 and the PNG industry has not been able to re-establish a market for their pyrethrum extract products.
“There are two main reasons for this failure to gain a marketing position: Pyrethrum is an insecticide and producers are required to have access to the full toxicology, ecotoxicology and use pattern Data Package before their products can obtain access into the vast majority of world markets.
“Unfortunately, the PNG industry does not have access to this data and the costs of obtaining this Data Package are in the order of $A3-4 million.
“The pyrethrum oleoresin produced by the PNG industry requires an additional refining process before it can be used by the product formulators and there are only three major pyrethrum refineries in the world.
“Botanical Resources Australia–Agricultural Services Pty Ltd (BRA) developed a business arrangement with the Enga Government in late October 2005 to buy pyrethrum.
“BRA is one of the two largest pyrethrum producers in the world producing 40% of the world usage of pyrethrum products.
“BRA has a modern and technologically-advanced production and manufacturing facility in Tasmania and a strong production base in Tasmania.
“BRA is also a share owner of a comprehensive Data Package on pyrethrum, including detailed information on toxicology, enviro-toxicology, residue, efficacy and risk analysis for a wide range of situations.
“BRA has used this data to support the registration of pyrethrum in all of the major markets, including the USA, Europe, Japan, Korea as well as Australia.
“Without access to this data package or a similar data package, a pyrethrum producer will not be able to register their product in these major world markets.
“The PNG industry is still recovering from the joint shock of the factory closure and the subsequent withdrawal of the key US pyrethrum buyer.”
All is not lost, however, thanks to NARI and the Enga provincial government.
Enga provincial government’s objective on pyrethrum is to alleviate poverty and improve cash income in the province, promoting it as cash crop
NARI’s objective on pyrethrum is an emerging crop and potential cash crop for high altitude to improve cash income problem faced by 880, 000 people, (15% of total 5.5million PNG population).
NARI, and the unwavering support of the Enga provincial government – through its Enga Pyrethrum Company, which runs the Kagamuga pyrethrum extraction factory in Mt Hagen – and of course a small band of dedicated farmers has seen pyrethrum continue to thrive.
 |
| Daisy-like pyrethrum flower at the experimental paddock at Tambul, Western Highlands.Pictures by MALUM NALU |
Potential pyrethrum-growing areas include Laiagam, Kandep, Wabag and Wapenamanda areas of Enga province; Tambul of Western Highlands; Ialibu and Upper Mendi areas of Southern Highlands; Kerowagi, Gumine and Gembogl areas of Chimbu; and Okapa, Henganofi and Lufa areas of Eastern Highlands.
Pyrethrum (Tanacetum cinerariaefolium) is a daisy-like plant which is cultivated for the production of pyrethrins and insecticides (insect poison).
It has six active chemicals which do not harm people or animals and rapidly degrades in the environment (no residue problems), and has low risk of insect resistance
Currently, according to pyrethrum scientists Kud Sitango and Enopa Lindsay of the National Agriculture Research Institute, 90% of the pyrethrum is grown in Enga Province, with production having ceased in other pyrethrum-growing areas
 |
| NARI’s ‘Team Pyrethrum’ (from left) team leader Kud Sitango, field assistant Danny Momo, scientist Enopa Lindsay and field assistant Kennufa Moui at the project signboard in Tambul, Western Highlands. |
Most of this is from Laigam in Enga.
Sitango and Lindsay say pyrethrum is suitable a farm crop because:
• In PNG it is non-seasonal, all year-around crop;
• There are always flowers to harvest and sell;
• It can be stored;
• It can always be sold even though the price is not high;
• It can be grown in small plots or around the base of the kaukau (sweet potato) mound;
• It can be worked by hand labor alone and requires little capital,
• It is easy to grow because planting materials are readily available and easily obtained; and
• It is currently regarded as the “women and children’s crop” in Enga Province.
A four-year Australian Centre for Integrated Agriculture Research (ACIAR) pyrethrum project started in January 2007 and ended in December 2010, however, according to Sitango and Lindsay, “most of the planned activities were implemented partially completed due to lack of appropriate knowledge and supervision”.
“Pyrethrum was introduced into PNG on trial basis in the late 1950s and it became a good attractive cash crop for the highlands (above2, 000 metres),” they said in their ACIAR report.
 |
| Dried pyrethrum flowers. |
“Local women, children and old people were the key workers in this industry and these important social groupings were the key beneficiaries from this industry.
“In 1995, the pyrethrum extraction factory that purchased the crop from the growers closed down and this resulted in a lot of primarily subsistence farmers losing their major source of cash income.
“In 2000-2001, the Enga provincial government purchased this extraction factory and spent some $A1.2 million to re-commission this factory.
“Pre-1995, all of the pyrethrum crude extract, called oleoresin, produced in PNG was sold to an American company.
“This marketing arrangement ceased when the factory closed in 1995 and the PNG industry has not been able to re-establish a market for their pyrethrum extract products.
 |
| Pyrethrum seeds. |
“Unfortunately, the PNG industry does not have access to this data and the costs of obtaining this Data Package are in the order of $A3-4 million.
“The pyrethrum oleoresin produced by the PNG industry requires an additional refining process before it can be used by the product formulators and there are only three major pyrethrum refineries in the world.
“Botanical Resources Australia–Agricultural Services Pty Ltd (BRA) developed a business arrangement with the Enga Government in late October 2005 to buy pyrethrum.
“BRA is one of the two largest pyrethrum producers in the world producing 40% of the world usage of pyrethrum products.
“BRA has a modern and technologically-advanced production and manufacturing facility in Tasmania and a strong production base in Tasmania.
“BRA is also a share owner of a comprehensive Data Package on pyrethrum, including detailed information on toxicology, enviro-toxicology, residue, efficacy and risk analysis for a wide range of situations.
“BRA has used this data to support the registration of pyrethrum in all of the major markets, including the USA, Europe, Japan, Korea as well as Australia.
“Without access to this data package or a similar data package, a pyrethrum producer will not be able to register their product in these major world markets.
“The PNG industry is still recovering from the joint shock of the factory closure and the subsequent withdrawal of the key US pyrethrum buyer.”
 |
| Team leader Kud Sitango, field assistant Danny Momo, scientist Enopa Lindsay and field assistant Kennufa Moui around a pyrethrum flower in Tambul |
Enga provincial government’s objective on pyrethrum is to alleviate poverty and improve cash income in the province, promoting it as cash crop
NARI’s objective on pyrethrum is an emerging crop and potential cash crop for high altitude to improve cash income problem faced by 880, 000 people, (15% of total 5.5million PNG population).
NARI, and the unwavering support of the Enga provincial government – through its Enga Pyrethrum Company, which runs the Kagamuga pyrethrum extraction factory in Mt Hagen – and of course a small band of dedicated farmers has seen pyrethrum continue to thrive.
K110 million for roads okayed by cabinet
PROVINCIAL and rural roads in 10 provinces will be given US$43 million (K110 million) over the next five years for phase two of the roads maintenance and rehabilitation project (RMRP II), The National reports.
Cabinet approved the World Bank’s proposed credit financing yesterday and agreed to pump in US$10 million (K26 million) as counterpart funding.
Acting Prime Minister Sam Abal said this would be appropriated in the national budget over a five-year period beginning next year.
He said NEC recently endorsed an equivalent of special drawing rights (SDR) US$27.4 million from the World Bank’s international development association (IDA) to pay for the road project.
Provinces included under the RMRP were East and West New Britian, Manus, Northern, Morobe, Gulf, Central, Madang, Milne Bay and Western.
“The RMRP will focus on national and district roads and is set to start in the latter part of 2011 and will continue until 2016.
“The World Bank’s involvement in the roads sector is to continue its support of the national transport strategy,” Abal said.
He said this strategy would concentrate on limited resources and investment in the areas of greatest economic potential, thereby maximising the opportunities for development and growth, both nationally and regionally.
Abal, who is also works minister, said the government had recognised the importance of adequate transport infrastructure and had reflected this in its development blueprints – Vision 2050, PNG development strategic plan 2010-30 and the medium-term development plan 2011-15.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)