Restoring livelihoods for cocoa farmers in PNG after widespread crop disease

World Bank

June 26, 2013

Cocoa is a lifeline for thousands of small farmers in Papua New Guinea (PNG), providing vital income for some 20 percent of the country’s population.In 2006, a devastating disease ravaged the crops of thousands of small farmers in East New Britain, the first province in PNG to be affected by the cocoa pod borer (CPB).The impact of this disease is severe. Untreated, its larvae tunnel into fresh cocoa pods and decimate cocoa harvests.

After the cocoa pod borer disease decimated harvests, a program is helping restore farmers’ livelihood and boost the country’s agriculture sector. View slideshow

Crop disease caused hardship for cocoa farmers
Farmers here saw as much as 90 percent of their crops destroyed. Total production in the province plummeted from 22,000 tons in 2008 to under 4,000 in 2012. This left many farmers and their families without a basic income, and created a great deal of hardship.
Nelson is a farmer in Vudal and cocoa is his main cash crop. In 2006, he had never seen CPB before.

When we saw it for the first time, it was horrifying. We just saw the insect bites. These looked like fruits that had fallen onto the ground and had lain there for weeks.

Nelson Farmer

“There was no warning,” Nelson said. “When we saw it for the first time, it was horrifying. We just saw the insect bites. These looked like fruits that had fallen onto the ground and had lain there for weeks.”
Across the province, communities describe how the loss of income left them unable to meet their daily needs, from sending their children to school, or paying for transport to get to town. Farmers went from harvesting some 15 bags of dry beans, to just one or two bags a month. Many gave up.
Alois Dulia orks as an assessor at Agmark, one of the cocoa buying companies in the province. He remembers when the factory was filled with cocoa beans, and farmers were literally queuing to sell their produce.
“There were farmers all the time, and we could hardly keep up with so much supply,” he recalls.
“Now, because we’ve got the disease it’s slowing everything. This place used to be full of cocoa. These days, we are always waiting for farmers to arrive.”

Working together with farmers to control the disease
Initiated in 2011, the World Bank’s Productive Partnerships in Agriculture Project (PPAP) is supporting community-led projects in East New Britain and Bougainville to help thousands of small farmers control the outbreak and restore their livelihoods.
Five cocoa partnerships have been established funded under the first round of the project, helping provide seedlings of more CPB-tolerant cocoa varieties. Model farmers have received training on techniques to manage CPB, and are working with extension workers to pass on their knowledge in their communities. Measures like regular harvesting, pruning, good block sanitation and pod burial can eliminate as much as 98 percent of CPB infestation.

Interest to plant cocoa has returned
Hosea Turburat is the manager of the Central Inland Baining Rehabilitation Partnership, part of the PPAP, which will rehabilitate 500 hectares of land. Altogether it will provide 100,000 new cocoa seedlings, for 500 farmers in the remote Bainings area.
“The main advantage is to increase production, because we are introducing hybrids which are CPB resistant, and also to increase income and improve standards of living.
“We have seen really invigorated interest in cocoa. The project has provided assistance to help farmers recover and reestablish their cocoa plots, and replant the trees.”
The project is also helping farmers plant other crops such as galip nut or taroas an additional income source. Some projects are supporting local agribusiness development and marketing, especiallyfor women farmers.
Funded by the World Bank’s International Development Association and the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the project is supporting coffee and cocoa farmers through eleven partnerships in six provinces to date. With growing community interest, more partnerships are in the pipeline.
Another 14 partnerships are expected to be approved in the next few months. By the end of this year, more than 18,000 farmers will be benefiting from PPAP.

PNG PM congratulates Rudd

By Eoin Blackwell, AAP Papua New Guinea Correspondent

PAPUA New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill has congratulated Kevin Rudd on his return to the Australian prime ministership, and says the strong relationship between the two countries will continue.

Mr O'Neill has also thanked former prime minister Julia Gillard for her commitment to the PNG/Australia relationship over the past three years.
"On behalf of the government and people of Papua New Guinea, I congratulate Kevin Rudd on his election as Leader of his party, and on returning to the high office of Prime Minister of Australia," he said in a statement on Thursday.
"I am sure the mutually beneficial and strong relationship between Papua New Guinea and Australia will continue."
Mr O'Neill also wished Ms Gillard "every happiness and success in the future".
Ms Gillard made her first visit to PNG as prime minister in early May and pledged to redefine the relationship beyond its traditional setting of donor/aid.

"When she visited recently we had wide ranging discussions on bilateral and wider issues, and we appreciated the additional commitments she made under our development co-operation agreement," Mr O'Neill sai

PNG leader slams opposition's race attack'

By Eoin Blackwell, AAP Papua New Guinea Correspondent

PAPUA New Guinea Prime Minister Peter O'Neill says a racially motivated attack on him by the nation's opposition leader is disgraceful.

Mr O'Neill on Monday responded to a weekend attack by Belden Namah in which the opposition leader accused the prime minister of not being Melanesian after he signed an extradition treaty with Indonesia.

PNG's leader says a racially motivated attack on him by the nation's opposition is disgraceful. Source: AAP

PNG shares its only land border with the restive Indonesian province of West Papua, and many West Papuans have fled east to escape Indonesia's rule.
"I just find it absolutely disgraceful that someone who claims to be a 'leader' can resort to race-based abuse and name-calling without provocation or justification," Mr O'Neill said in a statement on Monday.
"His vicious and uncalled-for attack on me while trying to justify his newfound position on Indonesia and Papua is disappointing, but sadly, it is also not unexpected.
"Mr Namah's disgraceful behaviour is one reason why the opposition numbers have dropped from around 20 to five or six since he became opposition leader last August."
Mr O'Neill last week visited Jakarta with a large business and ministerial delegation to sign the extradition treaty, and a series of commercial and civil agreements.
Mr Namah directed his response to the bilateral talks at Mr O'Neill personally, and said the O'Neill government would use the extradition treaty to send West Papuans fleeing Jakarta's rule back to Indonesia.
"Peter O'Neill is not a Melanesian," Mr Namah said.
"If he is Melanesian, he will feel the pain and the suffering of the West Papuans."
Speaking directly to the attack, Mr O'Neill said he was proud of the contributions his father - an Australian-born magistrate, or "Kiap" in Tok Pisin - had made to PNG.
"I am a proud Papua New Guinean," he said.
"I am proud of the contribution my late father made to Papua New Guinea before and after Independence. I am proud of my heritage, as are my children."
He urged Mr Namah to put up policies, adding there was no place for race-based politics in PNG.
Mr O'Neill is already suing Mr Namah for defamation after the latter publicly accused the prime minister of personally benefiting from government contracts.
The political falling out between Mr O'Neill and Mr Namah came after the 2012 national election that saw Mr O'Neill become PM and Mr Namah head a rapidly diminishing opposition.
For a year leading up to the election, Mr Namah was Mr O'Neill's deputy prime minister.
Now Mr O'Neill commands a large majority in parliament - about 95 out of 111 seats, while Mr Namah has seen his numbers shrink from 12 to just seven.
The pair's relationship soured during the lead up to the election, with Mr Namah publicly declaring during the campaign he should be the nation's prime minister.
Mr O'Neill last month reportedly took a page out of former Australian Prime Minister Paul Keating's play-book, telling Mr Namah in parliament he wanted to "undo [him] slowly".

PNGSDP supports water upgrade in Southern Highlands

Clean safe water will soon become a reality for the 15,000 people of Kape, Longo 1 and 2, and other Kambe Yakipu villages on the outskirts of Mendi, Southern Highlands.

A project involving the construction of a dam, a filtration system, an 80,000 litre Southern Cross tank and the installation of water pipes and taps is about to be implemented by the Baptist Union of PNG Health Services.

This will all be made possible thanks to K291,770 from PNG Sustainable Development Program Ltd  and K300,000 from the Member for Imbonggu, Mr Francis Awesa (Minister for Works), and the expertise of the church.

The signing of the funding agreement took place on Monday, June 24 between PNGSDP and Baptist Union Health Services. 

Officials from Baptist Union PNG Health Services signing the funding agreement on Monday

A community water and sanitation committee consisting of six men and four  women will be set up to support the project team during the implementation phase. This is to ensure the communities are involved in decision-making and ownership from start to the finish.

“PNGSDP’s contribution to this project is backed up by trusted project implementers, financial support from the local Member of Parliament and the community’s contribution through sweat equity,” chief executive David Sode said.

"This sort of commitment, in PNGSDP's experience, makes all the difference to whether a project goes ahead or not, and whether it ultimately succeeds or not.

“Once completed, the project will provide clean water and improved health and hygiene for locals. It will also relieve women and children of the laborious task of walking long distances every to fetch water for their households.

“It will also make a big difference in terms of people’s health – water-borne diseases are a major problem in villages and as the population increases throughout the country, traditional water supplies are becoming inadequate and unsafe.

A safe and reliable water source has been identified in the hills behind the villages, away from human activity.

The system will be gravity fed and has the capacity to supply 200 litres of water per second from the dam to the reservoir tank, from where it is then piped to the villages and schools.

Water points will be erected at selected locations for people to access.

PNGSDP is a 63.4% shareholder in the Ok Tedi mine. The dividends from its shareholding are used to support development work across the nation, including community-based projects.

US Pacific Partnership provides medical support and training in Wewak and Vanimo

More than 50 members of the U.S. Navy joined Australian and Japanese naval personnel in Vanimo on June 25 for Pacific Partnership 2013 (PP13) in Papua New Guinea.
A U.S.-sponsored annual humanitarian and civic assistance mission aimed at strengthening international relationships with partner and host nations in the Asia-Pacific, Pacific Partnership arrived in Vanimo from Wewak, where the exercise was based for the last 10 days.
“This is an awesome mission that has two big benefits: It directly helps improve health and education services in communities and it fosters two way learning between civil and military professionals from across the Pacific,” said Carlos Williams, U.S. Health Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Port Moresby. “This exercise is a true partnership, bringing together the PNG Defense Force, the Department of Health, provincial government leaders, disaster relief agencies, hospitals, NGOs, and schools.”
“Pacific Partnership is an excellent program,” said Elias Kapavore, CEO of the Vanimo Provincial Hospital.
"We will support this program enthusiastically."
The Australian ship, the HMAS Tobruk, is anchored prominently just off the Vanimo coast, and will be joined tomorrow by the Japanese destroyer, the JDS Yamagiri. More than 100 medical professionals from Papua New Guinea, Japan, Australia, and the U.S. are providing surgical, diagnostic, and medical expertise.
Pacific Partnership cooperates with regional governments and military to improve response during disaster relief operations while providing humanitarian, medical, dental, and engineering assistance. This year, the Australian Defense Force has taken the lead for the operation in East and West Sepik.
Supporting Inclusive, Sustainable, and Transparent Economic Growth in Melanesia
"More than 4000 people attended medical training workshops and attended health fairs," said Regina Chinsio-Kwong, a US Navy physician, who participated in the Wewak exercise.
At health fairs in Wewak, local community groups promoted preventative health care, disaster preparedness, and provided information to stop sexually transmitted diseases and Gender Based Violence.
The Wewak Disaster Management Task Force was also launched during the Pacific Partnership.
"One of the greatest legacies of Pacific Partnership is the countless number of friendships that are forged with all Papua New Guineans," said Lori Christensen of the U.S. Navy. "We're ultimately here to learn from and support each other."

Australian Navy Medical Officer in Charge, Captain Greg, East Sepik Deputy Provincial Administrator Elizabeth Kaprangi, officials from the Provincial Health Department and the U.S. Navy’s Lori Christensen at the official opening of the Pacific Partnership Mission’s Health Expo in Wewak, East Sepik Province on June 15, 2013.

In addition to health programs, Pacific Partnership is contributing to engineering projects.
 "The response from the schools was overwhelmingly positive," said Australian Army Lieutenant David Bellas, overseeing engineering projects at two schools and a health clinic in Wewak.
"Students are still texting us thank you notes for refurbishing their classrooms."
 He is now leading four construction projects in Vanimo.
"We're privileged to have the Pacific Partnership in Vanimo," said Ashley Wayne of the PNG Defense Force.
 "Our medics look forward to joining you in the hospital, and we look forward to joining the construction effort."
Taking advantage of professional Rugby talent on the HMAS Tubruk, the Australian Navy will also conduct a three-day rugby clinic at Don Bosco School in Vanimo.
The last Pacific Partnership exercise in Papua New Guinea was in 2011, led by the U.S. Navy, working with local and regional partners to provide humanitarian assistance in Madang and Lae. Pacific Partnership formed following the massive 2004 Asian tsunami in which more than 230,000 in 14 nations died.
Since 2006, Pacific Partnership has visited 15 countries, treated more than 300,000 patients and built over 130 engineering projects.

Travel Air helps needy

 LOCAL airline Travel Air, owned by East New Britain businessman Eremas Wartoto, is stepping up to help needy air travellers with free tickets.

“There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up,” Wartoto.

Lucy Elphis, an elderly mother of four from Southern Highlands, was so grateful that Wartoto was at the right place at the right time to aid her.

Elphis had encountered problems with airfares for her return trip from Port Moresby to Mt Hagen.

Founder and chairman of the newly established domestic airline dubbed as Mangi Lo Peles, Wartoto gave away a free ticket to the young mother as part of the new programme called the Mangi Lo Peles Halivim Fare.

Ready to board…From left are First officer Suhaimi Ibrahim, cabin crew Carol Kilik, Mrs Elphis, Mr Wartoto, Capt Adrian Joseph , cabin crew Georgina Mariwanjik , and Hagen Port Manager Mr James Kops

Elphis was the first recipient of the free ticket under this new programme.

The programme will help ordinary citizens who, because of unfortunate situations cannot afford their own fares to destinations of their preferences.

“The Mangi Lo Peles Halivim Fare will be prearranged for those in the category that has been seen for such assistance to change their lives for the better, providing hope where there seems to be no other way to,” Wartoto said.

“The underprivileged individuals must present their case with evidence to port managers on each domestic hub and they will only be considered eligible after their problems are wisely assessed.

“Travel Air management, upon evaluating their problem, will offer assistance to those individuals with criteria that will be fitting for that cause.

“A year has passed and Travel Air is generating remarkable favours with the ordinary citizens of this country.”