Australian man shot dead in PNG

By Eoin Blackwell of AAP

AAP

An Australian man has been killed and a woman gang raped by a mob in Papua New Guinea's Western Highlands.
Robert "Bob" Purdy, 62, from Melbourne, died instantly after being shot at point blank range on Monday morning when a group of up to 10 men confronted him at a house on the outskirts of Mt Hagen.
The men then raped a female guest at the house.
The woman, understood to be from the Philippines, was taken to Mt Hagen hospital for treatment.
"The motive of the killing of this innocent Australian is not known at this moment as well as the identity of the killers," Highlands Divisional commander Teddy Tei told the Post Courier newspaper.
Mr Tei said no valuables had been taken from the scene and police could not rule out the possibility that the owner of the house, who is away in Sydney, was the target.
"I condemn the actions of these animals," Mr Tei said.
"This is inhumane.
"We are investigating this very serious incident which is likely to have severe ramifications on the country's image."
Mr Purdy operated a towing business, Cobra Towing, on the Gold Coast for more than 20 years and is understood to have been working in construction while in PNG.
In February, Mt Hagen was the site of the brutal murder of Kepari Leniata, a 20-year-old mother who was stripped naked and set on fire in front of a crowd after she was accused of using sorcery to kill a child.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said consular officials in Canberra were providing assistance to the man's family in Australia.

Australian businessman killed in Mt Hagen

By Robyn Wuth of Gold Coast News

COLOURFUL Gold Coast businessman Bob Purdy -- a towie known as "Cobra Bob" -- was shot dead in Papua New Guinea at the weekend.
The former Ashmore businessman, who famously repossessed everything from cruise ships to skyscrapers, was shot in what was believed to be a botched robbery in the dangerous Mt Hagen area.

'Cobra Bob' Purdy in a file photo from 1991

It is understood Mr Purdy died instantly.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed the death of a 62-year-old man in Papua New Guinea.
Friends yesterday confirmed Mr Purdy's death but declined to comment.
Mr Purdy was well known on the Gold Coast and operated a towing business, Cobra Towing, for more than 20 years.
His other enterprises included an "equipment" import-export business which targeted small countries with troubled economies, car yards, a repossession business and experimentation with the manufacturing of table tops from broken glass.
Mr Purdy had been working in construction in the Mt Hagen area.
Numerous travel warnings have been issued for the area due to the high level of serious crime.
Local authorities warned of a "heightened risk" of armed robbery and attack.
Mr Purdy's body is expected to be returned to the Gold Coast for the funeral which has not yet been arranged.

Coffee pioneers of Milne Bay

Source: The National, Monday, April 15, 2013 

 

By MALUM NALU

 

 BEATRICE and David Alwyn may be rightfully called the ‘first couple’ of coffee in Milne Bay province.
The couple, from remote Daga, north of Alotau, were among 55 coffee growers from remote areas of the province who completed a week-long course in basic husbandry practices, agronomy, harvesting, and processing techniques at Bubuletta outside Alotau last Friday.
Beatrice and another young woman, Lina Tutuna, were the only ones among males.

CIC provincial farmer and training coordinator Dickson Kenas with Beatrice Alwayn and Lina Tutuna.-Nationalpics by MALUM NALU

Beatrice and David,  aged 27, with two young children,  started growing coffee two years ago, now have 5,000 trees on two hectares of land, and expect their first harvest later this year.
While many other young people in Milne Bay and Papua New Guinea are turning to alcohol and drugs, not so the Alwyns.

The ‘first couple’ of coffee in Milne Bay…Beatrice and David Alwyn.-

“I’m very privileged to have attended this training,” Beatrice told The National.
“Through this training, I have learned so much about maintaining my coffee trees.
“Through this help, I’ll go back to my own land and tend my coffee trees.
“Over the last three years, I have struggled so much with coffee problems, and what I have learned from the Coffee Industry Corporation and the division of agriculture and livestock, I will apply to my coffee block.”
David says since he was taught about coffee growing by provincial agriculture adviser, James Duks, he has never looked back,
“We started growing coffee about two years ago,” he said.
“In the middle of this year, it should start to bear fruit.
“I think around September or October this year we should have our first harvest.”
David completed Grade 10 at Holy Name High School in Dogura, while Beatrice did her education at Rabaraba Vocational Centre.”
He is encouraging young people to turn to the land and grow coffee, rather than wasting away their lives on alcohol and drugs.
“My advice to my other young friends is that drinking is not a god thing,” David says.
“We take drugs, we do bad things.
“I’ve been telling them to grow coffee.”

CIC: Coffee a tool for unity in PNG

Source: The National, Monday, April 15, 2013 

 

 By MALUM NALU

COFFEE can be a powerful uniting force for Papua New Guinea, leading coffee scientist Dr Mark Kenny says.
He said this at the graduation of 55 coffee growers from remote areas of Milne Bay at Bubuletta outside Alotau last Friday.

Kenny…  ‘coffee can be a powerful uniting force for PNG’.-Nationalpic by MALUM NALU

 Kenny, who is also acting CEO of the Coffee Industry Corporation based in Goroka, was accompanied by senior CIC officers from Aiyura – farmer training and extension manager Matei Labun and national farmer training and extension coordinator Simon Gesip.
He told the graduation that their presence showed how coffee could unite PNG.
CIC already has presence in Alotau, with a Milne Bay provincial office in place, run by provincial farmer and training coordinator Dickson Kenas.
“This is the first such graduation in the coastal areas that I’ve attended,” Kenny said.
“All the other graduations that I’ve attended have been in the highlands.
“If it wasn’t for coffee, we wouldn’t be gathering here.
“It’s all because coffee has united us, and I think coffee can unite PNG.
“Coffee is grown all over PNG, in fact 16 provinces, so I think that this is one crop that can unite PNG.”
Kenny said the training would not have been possible without the support of Milne Bay provincial government and provincial agriculture advisor James Duks.
“I acknowledge all the contributions made by the provincial government and the division of agriculture and livestock in the province.
“We have people with vision to see where their province wants to be.
“When you have people with vision, you can see things moving,” he said.
He also acknowledged the support of district administrators from Alotau, Esa’ala and Kiriwina-Goodenough.
“The country will only prosper if we work as a team in anything we do, be it in coffee or other areas of life.”
Kenny said the government could not achieve anything with the support of growers.
He also made a commitment of 20 pulpers for Milne Bay coffee growers as well as more extension officers if there was a need.

Coffee growers make history in Milne Bay

Source: The National, Monday, April 15, 2013

By MALUM NALU

History was made in Alotau, Milne Bay, last Friday when 55 coffee growers from remote areas of the province completed a weeklong course in basic husbandry practices, agronomy, harvesting, and processing techniques.

Historic, in that Milne Bay is not known for coffee production, although Arabica and Robusta coffee grows well in high altitude areas of Alotau, Esa’ala, Kiriwina-Goodenough, and Samarai-Murua.

Its coffee production is currently zero, although it is known that a small number of people do grow coffee and sell in Lae, but this is not counted as Milne Bay coffee.

 

The 55 Milne Bay coffee growers with provincial administration and CIC officers after graduation last Friday.-Pictures by MALUM NALU

The training, funded by Milne Bay administration, was organised by its division of agriculture and livestock, facilitated by the Coffee Industry Corporation (CIC), and conducted at Bubuletta agriculture station outside Alotau.

The 55 growers, from 16 cooperatives throughout the province, also received pulpers, saws, secateurs, and tarpaulins and challenged with the task of cultivating a hectare of coffee each and putting Milne Bay in the same league as the Highlands provinces.

“Today is an important day for Milne Bay province,” provincial agriculture advisor James Duks said at last Friday’s graduation.

“Coffee is not a crop that can only be grown in the Highlands.

Duks..  'coffee is not a crop that can only be grown in the Highlands’

“It can also be grown in the coastal provinces.

“In Milne Bay, coffee is in fact, one of the most-important crops for the high altitude people.”

Duks said the Milne Bay administration, through its integrated provincial development plan (IPDP) featured coffee as an important crop to promote and develop.

“We want to see coffee production increase to 100 tonnes, but what is the first step towards achieving that?

“The first step towards achieving any productivity is training, empowering our growers, empowering our small men and women who grow coffee in the high altitude areas.

“The set of skills you have learned is the same sort of skills people in the Highlands have acquired.

“Your community will be looking at you to lead them/”

“We (provincial administration) are committed to coffee in Milne Bay province.

“As long as the government gives us funds, we will continue to support coffee and we will want to see more extension patrols.”

Acting chief executive officer of CIC, leading coffee scientist Dr Mark Kenny, said history was indeed being made in Milne Bay.

A historic day for Milne Bay…Dr Kenny with pioneer Milne Bay women coffee growers Lina Tutuna (Kaneo Cooperative, Daga LLG, Alotau), and Beatrice Alwyn (Kutu Cooperative, Daga LLG, Alotau) last Friday.-

“This is the first such graduation in the coastal areas that I’ve attended,” he said.

“All the other graduations that I’ve attended have been in the Highlands.

“If it wasn’t for coffee, we wouldn’t be gathering here today.

“It’s all because coffee has united us, and I think coffee can unite PNG.

“Coffee is grown all over PNG, in fact 16 provinces, so I think that this is one crop that can unite PNG.”