On a wing and a prayer

By MALUM NALU

Paul Gilma graduated with a degree in tropical agriculture from University of Vudal (now University of Natural Resources and Environment) in 2006 but unlike his colleagues, who settled for cosy jobs in our towns and cities, he answered the call of the wild.



MAF Cessna loading coffee at Owena

 This young man from Nondugl, in the great Waghi Valley of Western Highlands province, decided long ago that he wanted to work in the undeveloped rural areas of Papua New Guinea, serving the people that time has long forgotten.

Paul Gilma (left) with a village elder in traditional clothing at Andakombi

That dream came true when, after graduation, he joined the Coffee Industry Corporation in Goroka where, with single-minded determination, he worked himself up to the position of freight surety co-ordinator.

Paul Gilma...enjoying the call of the wild

This job is not for the meek or faint-hearted, let alone the conniving “paper farmers” of Waigani, as it involves travelling to some of the most-remote and rugged terrain of PNG, where only eagles dare, to ensure that coffee from these areas - that are off the government’s radar – gets transported to market.

Coffee at rural Owena awaiting airfreight

There is so much coffee in these forgotten rural areas, estimated at 700,000 bags or almost the entire coffee production of PNG, that just rots away because there is no transport to market.
When Gilma flies in on a wing and a prayer on a tiny singled-engined Cessna 206, flown by dedicated missionary pilots from third-level airlines like Missionary Aviation Fellowship (MAF), New Tribes Mission (NTM) or Seventh Day Adventist (SDA) Aviation, he is in his forte.

Coffee bags being unloaded from an MAF Twin Otter at Aiyura, Eastern Highlands

He is feted like royalty and the locals – who see outsiders only once in a blue moon – cook up a feast for him.
He spends days, even weeks, with these people, organising freight of their coffee as well as carrying out extension work as he awaits the next available flight to Goroka, which no-one knows when will arrive.
He admits that sometimes, when he is with these rural people, he breaks down and cries, as he thinks about what we people in town have.

Paul Gilma...a true champion of our rural coffee growers

“Sometimes, when I talk to these people, I break down and cry,” Gilma tells me.
“Some of these people have never been to town.
“Airplanes are the only means of transport

Coffee growers listening to Paul Gilma at Andakombi, Eastern Highlands

“We, in urban areas, have access to so many services, and yet, we still complain.
“These little people also contribute to the economy of the country, through their coffee, and yet don’t complain.
“They are my heroes, my driving force.
“Sometimes, I feel that I want to buy a plane for them, if I have the money.“When I go, they say ‘bosman bilong CIC I kam (the CIC boss is here)’, and they cook so much food for me.”

Paul Gilma teaching coffee growers about pruning at Andakombi

Gilma’s anecdotes could fill a whole book.
“Once,” he recalls, “I flew out to Owena airstrip in the Obura-Wonenara area of Eastern Highlands.
“From Owena, I walked for a day to Aziana airstrip.
“I stayed there for two days talking to farmers, walked back to Owena, and from there walked to Tainoraba airstrip.
“I came back to Owena and stayed there for three weeks, collecting data and organising farmers.
“That was the whole purpose of the trip.
“Sometime later, I flew to Simbari in Obura-Wonenara, where the MAF plane left me, and I walked with a group to Norambi airstrip.
“Another time, I went to Marawaka.
“After that, I went to Andakombi, which is on the border of Eastern Highlands, Morobe and Gulf provinces.

Paul Gilma (left) with CIC service provider Ekim Ulato at the headwaters of the Purari River

“I went there and gave them two days training in rehabilitation and post-harvest.
“I stayed at Andakombi for one week and came back in an SDA plane.
“Some of these people still go about in their traditional clothing.
“Sometimes, planes don’t even land in these areas, and as a result, coffee just rots away because there is no means of transporting it to town.”
The freight surety scheme has the fully blessing of the CIC board and is successor to the former freight subsidy scheme, which was also run by CIC.
“We identified the need to help rural growers who found it hard to transport their coffee to market,” Gilma explains.
“The programme was first started in 1999 as freight subsidy scheme.
“Back then, the government funded the programme.
“At that time, there was also the ‘Green Revolution’, and PNG Defence Force aircraft were used.
“The government subsidised 40% of total freight costs, and 60% was met by the farmers themselves.
“This was done from 1999 up to 2001, but by then, the money was not enough to cover all coffee-growing provinces in PNG, so subsidy funds were depleted, and the programme came to a halt in 2001.
“In 2002, the CIC board reviewed the freight subsidy policy, and revived it as freight surety or revolving scheme.
“Under this, there was no 60-40; growers themselves had to pay 100% of costs.
“Some farmers had the capacity to take their coffee to market, while others couldn’t.
“Under this scheme, CIC made upfront payment to third-level airlines.
“When farmers asked for assistance, we paid up front, and expected them to pay back the money.
“This is how our freight surety scheme worked.
“This was in place from 2003-2007.”
A spanner, however, was thrown into the works when airlines were not properly reporting coffee shipments, as well as farmers not wanting to pay the surety component, and the programme came to a halt in 2007.
In 2008, it was revived again under CIC’s incentives scheme, and in 2009, the full programme came under Gilma’s wings.

Paul Gilma talking to coffee growers at Simbari, Eastern Highlands

"In 2009, the full responsibility was given to me,” he says.
“We had not been very consistent in the past.
“Some farmers lost interest in the programme.
“There was no information going out to them.
“I had to start from scratch, identifying grower groups and mobilising them.
“We restarted the programme in only Eastern Highlands and Chimbu provinces, with only K200, 000.
“Since I came on board, there has been some difference, especially in volume.
“In 2008, only 23,000kg of parchment coffee was airlifted.
“In 2009, I tried my best to increase the volume, and we increased this to 53,000kg.
“Last year was about the same as we airfreighted about 50,000kg.
“We did not get any new grower groups or spread out to other provinces.”
Gilma has made a submission to the Department of National Planning and Monitoring for assistance, and K500, 000 has been approved for this year and K500, 000 for next year.
“We’re now looking at expanding to all coffee-growing provinces,” he adds.
“We want to delegate responsibilities to all provinces so farmers can access the service.
“We want to get as many growers as possible on board.
“We are also building the sustainability concept.”
Paul Gilma, one of the many unsung heroes of PNG, continues his labour of love for the forgotten rural people of this country.

Coffee industry welcomes World Bank project

By MALUM NALU

Coffee Industry Corporation board chairman James Korarome (left) and Rural Industries Council executive officer Graham Ainui (right) lead World Bank officials including project task team leader Mona Sur (lcentre) to Mark Solon Auditorium at University of Goroka where the launching took place.-Picture by MALUM NALU

Coffee industry representatives have welcomed the World Bank-funded Productive Partnership in Agriculture Project (PPAP), saying that it is long overdue and just what the industry needs.
Exporters’ chairman John Edwards, processors’ chairman Jerry Kapka, plantation representative Max Kumbamong, Western Highlands’ smallgrowers’ chairman Peter Kewa and Jiwaka smallgrowers’ chairman James Koimo were united at the launch of the coffee segment in Goroka on Tuesday last week.
“Our coffee industry is slowing down,” Edwards said.
“The PPAP is giving us another chance.”
Kapka, managing director of renowned Kongo Coffee, said a lot of money was going to be pumped into the industry.
“By the time this project is finished, we want to see coffee earn K2 to K3 billion a year,” he said.
“We want credible people to be involved in this project.”
Kumbamong said the government had failed the industry many times, such as the ill-fated national agriculture development plan (NADP), in which millions were alleged to have been stolen by “paper farmers”.
“This is a great opportunity for Papua New Guineans to benefit,” he said.
“Such plans are long overdue.”
Kewa said smallholder growers were facing many problems.
“Prices are not going down to the farmers,” he said.
“We need farmer training.
“We need group marketing.
“This is where World Bank can come in.
“We have to work together and make this industry develop.”
Koimo said the soon-to-be Jiwaka province had set itself an ambitious target of one million bags per year.
“We have set a target of one million bags per year,” he said.
“Jiwaka produce 40% of PNG coffee but is not receiving services.
“I think it’s best that CIC decentralises extension services to the provinces.
“It’s timely that the World Bank has come in and we want you to work with smallholder coffee growers.”

NARI show on May 5

By MALUM NALU

Scientist Michael Dom (centre) showing pig silage with Highlands Pig Farmers’ Association president Moses Pala (left) and Tambul farmer Akilo Purunu at the 2010 NARI Agricultural Innovations Show.-Picture by MALUM NALU

Hundreds of people are expected to converge on the National Agricultural Research Institute at Bubia outside Lae on Thursday, May 5, for the annual Agricultural Innovations Show for 2011 to be staged at its Sir Alkan Tololo Research Centre.
The programme starts at 8.30am and continues for the whole day.
This will be the fifth year of this ‘information exchange and knowledge sharing’ event in which partner and collaborating organisations in agricultural and rural development will display and exhibit their innovations and improved technologies, and interact with farmers and the general public.
The theme for the May 5 event is “Investing in Innovative Agriculture for Prosperity”.
This day also marks NARI’s 14th anniversary.
This year’s show will involve demonstrations and displays of materials and technologies.
NARI will also be officially releasing three improved technologies to the farming community.
There will be a number of government officials, private sector representatives and other stakeholders participating.
Also participating and presenting their activities will be a number of research and development agencies, the private sector, educational and training institutions, extension providers, NGOs, and community groups.
Minister for Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, Paru Aihi, has confirmed his availability to be the chief guest at the show.

Lands Department denies selling land

By JUNIOR UKAHA
THE Lands Department has refuted claims the land on which the iconic First House of Assembly building stands has been sold to a foreign developer, The National reports.
Lands acting secretary Romily Kila Pat said the report in The National yesterday was misleading “as the land in question was never sold, but leased, to the Lamana Development Group by the state to build a replica of the historical first House of Assembly”.
Details of the lease agreement remained unclear but Pat said the place would be turned into a “tourist attraction and not a hotel” as claimed by David Western Construction manager David Kini.
How much the project was worth remained unclear as well.
Pat said the developer was allowed to develop the area under a “special public-private partnership arrangement”.
He said the government had no money to improve the place and decided to relinquish it to the Lamana Development Group to develop on its behalf.
Pat said the land on which the first House of Assembly stood consisted of two separate plots, hence, under the arrangement, the developer would develop the site using its own resources and, after completion of the job, would take as its reward a portion of the land in the block.
Pat said the arrangement with the developer was made a couple of years ago and the then governor-general (Sir Paulias Matane) was fully informed of and approved the deal.
National Museum and Arts Gallery acting director Dr Andrew Moutu, whose organisation was the custodian of the property before its acquisition by the developer, said yesterday The National report was “partly true and partly incorrect”.
He would not elaborate, saying many factors were involved.
A planned interview with him failed as his phone was switched off.
Attempts to get comments from the developer yesterday were unsuccessful.

Somare yet to resume duties

PRIME Minister Sir Michael Somare has not resumed official duties after serving his 14-day suspension, which ended yesterday, The National reports. Sir Michael was suspended by a leadership tribunal after being found guilty of official misconduct. He had failed to file his annual returns to the Ombudsman’s Commission.
The suspension began on April 4 and ended last Friday. He was to have returned to office yesterday.
The Office of the Prime Minister said acting Prime Minister Sam Abal “will remain acting until further notice”.
Government sources said Sir Michael was still in Singapore where he would undergo an operation tomorrow.

Lands Department denies selling land

By JUNIOR UKAHA
THE Lands Department has refuted claims the land on which the iconic First House of Assembly building stands has been sold to a foreign developer, The National reports.
Lands acting secretary Romily Kila Pat said the report in The National yesterday was misleading “as the land in question was never sold, but leased, to the Lamana Development Group by the state to build a replica of the historical first House of Assembly”.
Details of the lease agreement remained unclear but Pat said the place would be turned into a “tourist attraction and not a hotel” as claimed by David Western Construction manager David Kini.
How much the project was worth remained unclear as well.
Pat said the developer was allowed to develop the area under a “special public-private partnership arrangement”.
He said the government had no money to improve the place and decided to relinquish it to the Lamana Development Group to develop on its behalf.
Pat said the land on which the first House of Assembly stood consisted of two separate plots, hence, under the arrangement, the developer would develop the site using its own resources and, after completion of the job, would take as its reward a portion of the land in the block.
Pat said the arrangement with the developer was made a couple of years ago and the then governor-general (Sir Paulias Matane) was fully informed of and approved the deal.
National Museum and Arts Gallery acting director Dr Andrew Moutu, whose organisation was the custodian of the property before its acquisition by the developer, said yesterday The National report was “partly true and partly incorrect”.
He would not elaborate, saying many factors were involved.
A planned interview with him failed as his phone was switched off.
Attempts to get comments from the developer yesterday were unsuccessful.

Chinese killed fighting rapists

By ZACHERY PER
THE Chinese national killed in Goroka over the weekend fired shots to disperse thugs raping his female passengers and looting his vehicle, Goroka police said yesterday, The National reports.
Initial police investigations showed the man, his friend and two females were struggling to push their mini-dyna truck out of the drain, after it went off the road, when opportunists and thugs converged on them.
The thugs raped the female passengers, robbed them of cash, mobile phones and other valuable items, Eastern Highlands provincial police commander Supt Augustine Wampe said.
He said Alex Seng Da then fired the shot from his pistol that hit a youth in the crowd, which then turned and killed him instantly.
“The pistol used in the incident remains missing but police are aware of who is in possession of it, so arrests will be made soon,” he said.
Wampe said investigations were still going on with reliable information coming in as a result of good cooperation from Asariufa community leaders.
William Morea, a youth from Sinasina, Chimbu, was shot dead by the Chinese man.
In retaliation, relatives killed him on the spot.
The deaths occurred at around 8pm last Saturday at the Asariufa section of the Highlands Highway.
Police stepped up operations not only in Goroka but in the neighbouring Kainantu town to contain opportunists who may try to loot shops.
The Seng Da chain of supermarkets and other Asian business outlets in Goroka remained closed yesterday.