30,000 jobs in mining

THE mining and petroleum industry has since last year seen 30,000 people employed directly, as well as project employees, contractors and exploration team members, The National reports.
Speaking at the National Development Forum on employment creation in Port Moresby last Thursday, Papua New Guinea Chamber of Mines and Petroleum executive director Greg Anderson said it increased to 18,000 in 2006 from 12,000 in 2004.
He said for exploration purposes, a "large numbers of village people are employed across much of the country".
"Small scale mining employs between 60 and 80,000 artisanal and grassroots alluvial miners."
Anderson said the contribution of mining and petroleum to downstream business and employment opportunities in associated industries, contractors, suppliers and retailers had not been quantified but was estimated to have a multiplier of the order of four to five times.
He said the large number of technical manpower being trained in PNG was generated from the industry, especially in apprentices, trade and graduate trainees, overseas courses, university sponsorship and school scholarships.
Anderson said through ro­yal­ty payments and other benefits derived from resource deve­lopments in the mining and petroleum sector, "most of these monies are then spent on education and training for the skilled manpower they needed".
He said the benefits provided by the resource projects were diverse and substantial and included taxes as in company tax, royalty, tax credit scheme, DWT, salary and wages tax, duties.
"The benefit distribution then goes to host communities and provinces as equity and royal­ty payments, compensation, employment, business and agri­culture development, health, community facilities and other infrastructure.
 "In Western, the tax credit scheme has led to the development of a new provincial go­vernment building, which is a success in itself.
"It has begun to construct jetties in Lower and Middle Fly River, as well as the Porgera Joint Venture (PJV) Law and Justice Initiative in the Por­gera-Lagaip district and the Oil Search health and education programme," he said.
Ok Tedi Mining Ltd has spent K213 million since 1997 and in 2010 spent K46.8 million, while PJV has spent K130 million on TCS projects.
He said with the good environment for investment in the industry, "close to five new opportunities have arisen in the mining sector with the Solwara 1, Frieda River, Wafi-Golpu, Yandera and Woodlark pro­jects under way and they will be needing more manpower".
This includes the three opportunities in the InterOil condensate liquid stripping and LNG project, Horizon Stanley Liquid Stripping/Gas project and the Western gas aggregation and offshore Pandora projects.

Air Niugini announces new schedules

BEGINNING next Wednesday, there will be changes to Air Niugini's international and domestic schedules, the airline says, The National reports.
This is to allow for the increase in frequencies and capacity of the international schedule to the high demand on domestic routes.
There will be an increase in capacity on the Port Moresby-Lae route, with five daily flights from Monday to Friday and four daily services on Saturday and Sunday.
Mt Hagen flights will increase to four daily during weekdays and three during weekends.
The Tabubil and Kiunga service on Monday and Tuesday will combine and the Wednesday service from Tabubil to Mt Hagen will be via Kiunga.
Other domestic schedule changes include the reinstatement of the Port Moresby-Rabaul-Kavieng service as reflected in flight numbers PX272 and PX273; renumbering of the Port Moresby-Popendetta flight to PX852/PX853; Port Moresby-Madang-Manus on Sunday and return on Wednesday is replaced by Port Moresby-Rabaul-Manus on Tuesday and back on Thursday.
These changes are made to connect with the Lae-Port Moresby and Port Moresby-Lae flights.
The Q400 services to Goroka, Gurney and Hoskins will be operated by the Dash8 300 series aircraft.
Air Niugini freighter service is reinstated in the revised schedule to provide the airline's corporate clients with efficient cargo movement.
The international schedule changes include as advised earlier the suspension of the Wednesday's service to Narita, Japan, leaving only the Saturday flight.
The Thursday flight to Hong Kong will operate on Wednesday while the return flight to Port Moresby will depart Hong Kong on Thursday morning with scheduled arrival into Port Moresby at 3.45pm.
The separate Sunday flights to Brisbane and Sydney will be combined and depart at 1.30pm while the return flight on Monday will operate directly from Sydney.
Brisbane will be serviced as per the current schedule.
The Thursday afternoon flight to Brisbane will be re-timed to an earlier departure at 3.30pm to allow Australian domestic connections.
The F100 service to Brisbane on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday will be withdrawn while services to Cairns to Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday will be operated by the Q400.
Cairns overnight flights on Friday and Sunday will be operated by the Q400 aircraft.

Australia opens visa centres

THE opening of two Australian visa application centres in Port Moresby and Lae will result in faster processing of applications, Australian High Commissioner Ian Kemish said, The National reports.
He said it demonstrated the Australian government's commitment to high-quality service in the region.
Kemish announced last Thursday that visa lodgement hours would be between 8.30am-4.30pm on weekdays, almost double the existing times.
He said phone lines would be open to handle questions and enquiries from travellers from 8.30am-7pm weekdays.
"We have listened to the feedback from our clients, and I am pleased to announce the establishment of two Australian visa application centres in PNG," he said.
The changes are possible because PNG has been chosen as the first country in the Pacific where Australia will introduce its new service delivery partner (SDP) arrangements.
The use of an SDP in other overseas locations has provided benefits, including improved client services and processing efficiencies.
Other services will include SMS alert service, internet kiosks, photocopying and the issuing of passport photographs.
"As Australia's closest neighbour and the largest Pacific island country, it is only right that it is here that Australia looks to improve our visa processing systems in the Pacific," Kemish said.
"Work on new shop fronts is already under way, with doors expected to open in Port Moresby and Lae between September and October.
"Staff at the new centres will be trained to a professional standard and applicants' personal information will be protected in line with Australia's privacy rules.
"All applications will continue to be assessed and decided by the visa and immigration office at the Australian High Commission in accordance with migration legislation and policy.
"The new arrangements will not affect official visa applications (those accompanied by third person notes from the PNG government). These will continue to be accepted at the high commission," Kemish said.

New foods from coconut

Caption: Something familiar to all Pacific islanders: a coconut being husked.-Picture courtesy of Origins Pacific (www.originspacific.com.fj)

By ANNE MOORHEAD

Known for centuries as 'the tree of life' because it has so many useful products, it seems unlikely that the coconut could have any new ones still to offer. But it does – and what's more, it's almost as if the tree has been saving them for the 21st century. Because these new products may be able to help us fight some of today's biggest health problems.

'We all know about virgin coconut oil by now,' says Tevita Kete, coconut expert at the Secretariat of the Pacific Community. 'But there are other coconut products that also have many health benefits.'

Coconut flour is one of them. Made by milling the dry, pressed coconut flesh after the oil has been extracted, the flour is gluten-free and grain-free, offering a flour alternative to anyone with these allergies. It is also high in fibre – in fact, it has more fibre than any other kind of flour. It is well known that a high-fibre diet is very good for the intestine, can help manage diabetes, and protects against heart disease and some forms of cancer.

Coconut flour works particularly well in sweet recipes like cakes, muffins and pancakes – and as a bonus it is naturally sweet so you don't have to add as much sugar as with ordinary flour. It can also be used with good results in some savoury recipes like soups and sauces, and different kinds of bread, from pizza base to roti.

If you can't tolerate gluten or grains, some recipes, for example those for some muffins and cakes, work with 100% coconut flour. For others who just want healthier eating, substituting 10–30% of the wheat flour with coconut flour gives good results. You can find many recipes on the Internet – search for 'coconut flour recipes'.

But here's the catch. While coconut flour can be bought in health food stores in Europe, the US, Australia and New Zealand, it isn't currently available in Pacific stores. The raw material is definitely available – increasingly so as the virgin coconut industry takes off. Enthusiasts are beginning to ask suppliers to make this flour available in Pacific stores.

Coconut sugar and coconut syrup are sweeteners that are familiar in Kiribati and Tuvalu – and also the islands of Rabi and Kioa in Fiji, where people from these countries have made their home – but, surprisingly, not in the other Pacific Islands. These products are made not from the nut but from the sweet sap of the flower. Known as 'toddy', this is boiled down into syrup, or boiled further until it crystallises and can be ground into sugar.

'Coconut sugar and syrup are sweeteners with a low glycemic index, which means they are very helpful for people managing diabetes and those who are trying to control their weight,' says Mr Kete. 'They have a great taste, and are also high in minerals such as potassium, magnesium, zinc and iron", he adds. 'These are natural and healthy sweeteners.' However, like coconut flour, these products are not yet commercially available in the Pacific.

This may soon change, however. Fijian entrepreneur Peni Drodrolagi has plans to import these products from Kiribati and Tuvalu. 'If we can build a market for these sweeteners, then the next stage will be to start producing them here in Fiji,' he says. Eventually, he believes, these could become export products, boosting Fiji's economy.

One final product – coconut water – is as old as coconuts themselves. What is new, though, is its use as a health and sports drink. Potassium and essential electrolytes are the 'magic' ingredients that are thought to enhance performance and recovery. Coconut water has much more of these than manufactured sports drinks, without any of the artificial additives. As coconut water takes the world by storm, we may soon see Pacific coconut water conveniently packaged and on our supermarket shelves. And again, that could be the first step to a new export for the region.

'As we try to eat both more healthily and locally, these products would be a welcome addition to our shops,' says Kete. 'Like virgin coconut oil, they can easily be produced in small-scale community-based industries. We in the cities will get locally produced health foods, and remote island communities will get much-needed income.' Surely that's a win–win situation.

 

Anne Moorhead is a science writer and editor. She was commissioned by the European Union-funded Facilitating Agricultural Commodity Trade (FACT) project for this series of articles on virgin coconut oil. Implemented by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), the FACT project works to increase the volume, value and diversity of Pacific Island agricultural and forestry export products.

Benefits all round from virgin coconut oil

Caption: A coconut being split in a typical village and urban scene of the Pacific.-Picture courtesy of  Origins Pacific (www.originspacific.com.fj)

By ANNE MOORHEAD

Vuna village, at the southern end of Taveuni Island, is a typical Fijian village. The colourful houses sit neatly beside the lagoon, while coconut plantations stretch inland into the distance. In the village, kids play while adults fish or tend their dalo fields. It is a scene repeated across many islands of Fiji.

But Vuna has something most Fijian villages do not have, which is making a big difference to the people's lives and livelihoods. It has a coconut oil mill. Set up in 2006 by Origins Pacific Limited, the mill employs eight women and two men from the village. They and their families now have regular income, and about 17 children are in full-time school as a direct result. They no longer depend on credit at the village store to buy their sugar, flour and other essentials, and all can now afford electricity in their homes.

"Every week I have some money," says Misa Likuvoivoi, who works at the mill. "With farming it took nine months before I earned anything. I can now pay the school fees for my two daughters, and buy their schoolbooks."

"The factory really helps us,' adds Leba Vosaicake, who works as supervisor in the mill. "It gives us steady income, which we can't get from farming or fishing."

Community-based oil production means that the people get a fair deal for their resources and their work. By processing the oil on Taveuni, the value of each coconut to the community increases from just eight cents (if it was sold for copra) to 45 cents. As well as the mill workers who draw weekly wages, suppliers who select and bring the best coconuts to the mill for processing also receive a premium.

Peni Drodrolagi and Bole Digitaki are the directors of Origins Pacific. "We produce some of the finest, most natural virgin coconut oil in the world," says Mr Drodrolagi. "And the bonus is, because we use simple technology, the mills can easily be run by the communities themselves."

Community support and participation have been vital to the success of this enterprise. "The chiefs and people have shared our vision and supported this mill from the beginning," says Mr Drodrolagi.

Origins has a second mill in Vunuku village on Moala Island in the Lau Group and plans to build more, on other islands, as the demand for virgin coconut oil increases.

"The market for cosmetics based on virgin coconut oil is already fairly well-developed, but the market for virgin coconut oil as an edible oil is still underdeveloped," explains Mr Drodrolagi. "However, as the health and nutritional benefits of this oil become better known, we are expecting to see an increased demand, both in Fiji and overseas."

Studies have shown that virgin coconut oil in the diet may help protect against heart disease, cancer, diabetes and many other 'lifestyle' diseases. It can also help fight infections caused by both bacteria and viruses due to the high concentration of a fatty acid called lauric acid. There are also claims it can help with weight loss through stimulating the thyroid which speeds up metabolism.

It is easy to replace other cooking oils and fats with virgin coconut oil, for general frying or whenever a recipe calls for butter or margarine. Because of its delicate nutty flavour it makes delicious cakes and cookies. It also works very well in fruit shakes and smoothies.

Origins Pacific has been selling its virgin coconut oil through supermarkets in the Fijian capital Suva and has seen sales triple. "People are used to buying cheap, imported vegetable oils, but when they understand the benefits of virgin coconut oil, they realise it is worth the higher price," says Mr Drodrolagi. "We hope consumers will also appreciate the fair trade aspects, and that they are supporting rural communities when they buy this oil." Origins Pacific is currently working to get official fair trade accreditation for its products.

As the demand for virgin coconut oil increases, there will be no shortage of communities volunteering to provide a home for the next coconut oil mill. "Shipping routes are key," says Mr Drodrolagi. "Once the oil has been produced, we need to ship it back to Suva for bottling and selling. The Lomaiviti Group and Southern Lau Group are probably where we will go next, for that reason." For islands with few income-generating opportunities, a coconut oil mill will come as a blessing.

 

Anne Moorhead is a science writer and editor. She was commissioned by the European Union-funded Facilitating Agricultural Commodity Trade (FACT) project for this series of articles on virgin coconut oil. Implemented by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), the FACT project works to increase the volume, value and diversity of Pacific Island agricultural and forestry export products.

Coconuts lead the way for a food-secure Pacific

Coconuts are a major contributor to food security in the Pacific, including Papua New Guinea. Picture courtesy of Origins Pacific (www.originspacific.com.fj)

 

By ANNE MOORHEAD

Food security is unquestionably one of the most important issues for the region. This series of articles is about coconuts and coconut products – so how can they contribute to food security? You may be surprised to learn that there are quite a few ways.

Food security is not simply a case of having enough to eat. It means having enough food that is nutritious and healthy, and having such food available even when there are challenges to food systems, such as cyclones or price hikes. With this definition of food security, coconuts begin to stand out as one of the Pacific's most important food security crops.

'Now that the myth about coconut oil being unhealthy has been debunked, we can say without doubt that coconuts are one of the most nutritious and healthy natural foods available,' says Dr Jimaima Lako, a food scientist at the University of the South Pacific. From coconut water, which has high levels of vitamins and minerals, to the fibre-rich coconut flesh, to virgin coconut oil, a cooking oil that seems to have numerous health benefits, the coconut excels as a nutritious food.

Combine coconut with fish, add a green leafy vegetable and perhaps a portion of yam or taro, and you have one of the most nutritionally balanced meals available. In other words, traditional island eating is about as healthy a diet as you'll find. Unfortunately, it is fast being replaced by one of the unhealthiest diets in the world, based on low-quality imported foods and junk foods. The results are plain to see: soaring levels of diabetes, heart disease and obesity among Pacific Island peoples.

The challenges to food systems are coming thick and fast. Climate change is a critical one – sea levels are set to rise, causing saltwater inundation of coastal farmlands, and more frequent and more intense weather events are also predicted. Which tree can withstand cyclones, tidal surges and tsunamis, and still deliver its fruit (or rather, its nut)? Coconuts protect our coastlines and also shelter more vulnerable crops against sea and weather. There's no doubt that coconuts are part of the Pacific Islands' frontline defence against climate change.

If we don't grow our own food, we buy it, and food security can simply mean having enough money to buy healthy, nutritious food. For rural communities on small islands there are few opportunities for earning money – but coconuts are beginning to offer some new ones. As virgin coconut oil begins to be recognised for its exceptional health-giving properties, as well as its cosmetic uses, the market for this product is expanding in the Pacific region and beyond. Managed well, with fair trade principles, everyone can benefit. Coconut water is another product that seems poised to take the world by storm. 'Coconut water: the new Coke?' is the headline of an online article (on Stuff.co.nz). There are clearly opportunities to be seized.

In Fiji, the government intends to seize the opportunities that coconuts offer. The government is beginning an intensive effort to revitalise the coconut industry. According to Joketani Cokanasiga, Minister for Primary Industries, the drive includes planting a million new coconut trees. Developing the biofuel industry is one of the government's incentives – there is huge potential to replace expensive imported fuels with locally produced, environmentally friendly fuel from low-grade coconut oil. Imagine islands powered by their own coconut diesel, where the profits from producing the fuel stay in the community, and everyone benefits from cheaper transport and electricity. The dream may not be so far away.

Yet biofuel is only one of the government's incentives. The minister also believes that value-added coconut products, like virgin coconut oil, could become significant exports for Fiji, perhaps even rivalling sugar. The country as a whole will benefit – and so too will small rural producers.

Coconut trees and coconuts are at the heart of Pacific Island life, and as we face new challenges to food systems, they will not let us down. Of course, coconuts alone cannot solve all the problems surrounding food security in the region, but they are an essential part of the solution.

'No one crop can guarantee food security – that depends on many factors that contribute to an effective food system that ensures everyone, even the most vulnerable, can always get enough nutritious food,' says Dr Siosiua Halavatau, who leads the Crop Production team at the Secretariat of the Pacific Community. 'But coconuts are certainly one of the foundations of such food systems in the Pacific. And with the challenges we anticipate in the coming years, coconuts seem likely to become even more important.'

 

Anne Moorhead is a science writer and editor. She was commissioned by the European Union-funded Facilitating Agricultural Commodity Trade (FACT) project for this series of articles on virgin coconut oil. Implemented by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), the FACT project works to increase the volume, value and diversity of Pacific Island agricultural and forestry export products.

The coconut oil cure – fact or fiction?

Caption: Could the humble coconut hold the answer to cancer, AIDS and some other serious diseases? Picture courtesy of Origins Pacific (www.originspacific.com.fj)

 

By ANNE MOORHEAD

Could the humble coconut hold the answer to cancer, AIDS and some other serious diseases? These claims have been made for virgin coconut oil, but what is the truth? This article, the second in a series about virgin coconut oil, explores the science behind the claims to find out what this so-called 'miracle oil' can really do for your health.

There seems to be no doubt that the chemical composition of coconut oil – when unrefined or 'virgin' – gives it a host of beneficial properties. According to scientists, one reason for this is the high concentration of medium-chain fatty acids in coconut oil, and in particular one called lauric acid. Lauric acid converts to monolaurin in the body, and monolaurin is also a critical ingredient of breastmilk. In breastmilk it helps protects babies from infection, and it seems that monolaurin derived from coconut oil works in the same way. There are very few foods that contain lauric acid, so most people do not benefit from monolaurin after the first few months of their lives.

Dr Mary Enig, a biochemist and probably the world's leading expert on coconut oil, writes, 'Monolaurin inhibits the growth of many pathogenic microorganisms.' One of the ways it does this is by disrupting the lipid membranes of viruses, and Enig lists HIV, herpes and influenza as examples of viruses that have been shown to be destroyed by monolaurin. She also describes similar effects against disease-causing bacteria, including 'superbugs' such as antibiotic-resistant 'golden staph' (Staphylococcus aureus). So coconut oil, it seems, has the potential to prevent and perhaps treat certain illnesses caused by infection. A few medical practitioners in Fiji and New Zealand have been recommending virgin coconut oil to their patients for several years, and they believe this potential can become reality. One of them, Dr Epeli Nailaitakau of Fiji says, 'Diabetic abscesses are one of the hardest infections to treat – but I have seen them heal when patients follow the recommended diet.' The diet he recommends is based on raw foods, mainly fruits and vegetables, as well as virgin coconut oil. He believes that this natural diet can have powerful results, and has himself trialled it with HIV-positive patients. 'After just a few weeks on the diet, their CD4 cell counts improved,' he says.

Less controversial perhaps are the benefits of coconut oil for so-called lifestyle diseases. Take heart disease for example. The confusion over whether coconut oil (as a saturated fat) might contribute to heart disease has now been clarified. The answer is: it does not. In fact, it is now clear that the opposite is true – some studies show that people who have a lot of coconut oil, and other coconut products, in their diet are less likely to suffer from heart disease. Again, lauric acid is one of the reasons – it acts to reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol, and to increase HDL (good) cholesterol in the blood. Some doctors are now recommending coconut oil to both prevent and treat heart disease.

Diabetes and obesity are two more lifestyle diseases that coconut oil can treat. Diabetes is essentially a problem with the regulation of sugar in the blood, and certain foods add to the problem by causing big swings in blood sugar level. Coconut oil, however, helps to regulate blood sugar while at the same time providing energy. The evidence is mounting that doctors should be recommending that their diabetic patients use coconut oil instead of other oils, as part of a balanced diet and along with regular exercise.

Using oil or fat to promote weight loss seems counterintuitive, yet there is scientific evidence that it works. We will look at this in more detail in a later article on weight loss – but again, the medium chain fatty acids are the key. These are rapidly absorbed and not converted to stored fat in the body.

But what about cancer? The temptation to seek 'natural' cures is high when faced with conventional treatments (surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy), and this has led to a plethora of 'discoveries', most of which offer little more than false hope. Does virgin coconut oil offer more than this?

Dr Nailatikau is convinced that his recommended diet can have positive results in cancer patients. 'It boosts the immune system, and so helps the body fight the cancer,' he says.

It is known that some other cooking oils which are less stable when heated can cause cell damage that may lead to cancer, so replacing these with coconut oil is also a way to reduce the risk of cancer.

We do not claim virgin coconut oil is a cure for cancer, or other major illnesses. However there does seem to be a growing body of evidence that it has at least a protective role against many diseases. Medical science would do well to look carefully at this natural product and delve deeper into its biochemistry. The Asian Pacific Coconut Community has a proposal to conduct clinical studies in order to validate the above anecdotal medical testimonies.

 

Anne Moorhead is a science writer and editor. She was commissioned by the European Union-funded Facilitating Agricultural Commodity Trade (FACT) project for this series of articles on virgin coconut oil. Implemented by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), the FACT project works to increase the volume, value and diversity of Pacific Island agricultural and forestry export products.

 

Cooking with virgin coconut oil

Virgin coconut oil has a natural nutty flavour which makes it ideal for frying meat, vegetables, pancakes, etc., or it can be used in curries, soups, sauces and casseroles. Whenever a recipe calls for butter, margarine or oil, virgin coconut oil can be used. It makes lovely baked goods such as cakes, cookies and muffins; and it can also be added to smoothies, shakes, warm milky drinks, oatmeal and cereals, giving a delicious coconut flavour.