transform the agriculture sector no€¦ · apec meeting photos 3 mindset and positive attitude and...

Editorial 2 APEC Meeting photos 3 DAL and agriculture sector prepare for 2018 APEC 4 IFAD—Investing in rural people 4 New agriculture college aims to promote Bulb onion 5 Role of Internal Audit and Audit committee In DAL 6 Bulldog Oil Palm project landowners Receive ILG certificate 7 Media company offers support to DAL 8 Heai Steven Hoko—Interview report With Agriculture Nius. 9 GIS Officer on study leave 10 EL NINO Affecting Agriculture 11 Condolence Message 12

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Department of Agriculture and Livestock, Central Government Office (CGO), Level 2B. Kumul Avenue, WAIGANI.

The transformation of the PNG agriculture sector needs to start now.

The Secretary for the Department of Agriculture and Livestock, Dr Vele Pat Ila’ava, says the way forward in making the transformation is to have a better mindset and positive attitude and to think big.

And he says that new and innovative thinking and ways and systems are criti-cal for successful agriculture transformation.

“Agriculture: This is our time.” Dr Ila’ava said that agriculture has a solid foundation in PNG built over the last 10,000 years and now PNG agriculture products offer some of the best quality in the world.

Secretary Ila’ava was speaking at a workshop with the PNG APEC Secretariat on issues in preparation for the APEC meeting in 2018. The theme of the work-shop was “Investing in Productivity-led Growth for a Better Future” and involved presentations from the APEC Secretariat, DAL and other agencies including In-vestment Promotion Authority, Department of Foreign Affairs, National Fisheries Authority and Rural Industries Council.

He said transformation of the sector does not need to start from ground zero – a solid foundation has already been made and everyone needs to have the right

Transform the agriculture sector now

2 AGR IC UL TUR E N IUS VO L UME 38, ISSUES 1 & 2, JAN UA R Y, 2017

AI & PB Going to great lengths to provide Information

EDITORIAL We welcome all our regular readers to

this January-February issue of the Agri-

culture Nius. We try to keep you updat-

ed with all the latest news and infor-

mation on agriculture in the Depart-

ment and the sector. Amongst some of

the stories you will read about in this

issue are;

- DAL & Agriculture sector prepare for

2018 APEC Summit

- IFAD—Investing in rural people

- Bulldog Oil Palm Project

- Push to transform the agriculture sec-

tor now, and more ...

If you have a story you want to include

in our next issue, please send it to the

contacts provided below. We thank you

all for being with us since we com-

menced the newsletter in September,

2016 and hope you will continue to be

with us again this year—2017. We wish

you all belated and happy New Year,

and happy reading!

Agriculture Nius is produced by the Public Relations and Media Unit and the Information and Publications Branch of the Department of Agricul-ture and Livestock (DAL). Managing Editor: Nicks Maniha

Editor : Busisi Siwaka

Contributor: Soldier Buruka

Layout & Design: Jackson Kaumana

Distribution: Kari Hira

Contributions: DAL Staff and Sector

Agencies.

Contributions to be sent to:

The Editor Agriculture Nius,

P.O. Box 2033,

PORT MORESBY,

National Capital District.

Email: [email protected], or

[email protected]

[email protected]

attitude, trust, think positively, avoid the handout mentality and sup-port each other. PNG also has fertile soil, rainfall, climate, and a population dependent on agriculture.

Dr Ila’ava said everyone can work together to transform the agri-culture sector to a climate-smart and business-oriented powerhouse. He said smallholder farmers can become champion business farm-ers.

He said the Government vision is to increase domestic and export revenue, increase number of local SMEs and large entrepreneurs, and to increase number of new investments in the sector.

“PNG agriculture commodities have established reputation for being high quality in the international markets.

“We are trusting our people to grow our economy to build a pros-perous and harmonious PNG.”

PNG in recent years has won excellence awards in cocoa, coffee, tea and cardamom. Despite lack of government support, particularly in oil palm, rubber, livestock, spice, tea and grains these commodi-ties still offer greater potential for investment.

Dr Ila’ava said that the transformation of the sector will enable increased income for individuals and families, increased opportuni-ties for employment and business, and improved access to quality basic services like health, education, clean water, shelter and infra-structure.

He said according to the World Bank, about 500 million small farms are in operation internationally, and 2.5 billion people are de-pendent on small farms, and 700 million need to be lifted out of pov-erty. PNG needs to put together its resources and come up with new thinking to transform the agriculture sector.

Dr Ila’ava said that APEC is vital to the agriculture sector in PNG and his department will be working closely with all stakehold-ers and the APEC Secretariat on important priorities including agri-culture trade and investment, sustainable and inclusive economic growth, food security, food safety and food trade, climate change impact on agriculture, and human capacity development.

The objective of the workshop was to discuss the significance and importance of APEC in relation to agriculture sector, the sec-tor’s role in APEC 2018 and leading to the future, the opportunity to be briefed by APEC Secretariat on the preparations and particularly the role DAL and agricultural sector agencies will play, and estab-lish a sector technical working committee.

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VO L UME 38, ISSUES 1 & 2, JAN UA R Y—FEB R UAR Y, 2017 AGRICULTURE NIUS, 3


Photos from the PNG APEC 2018 Agriculture Sec-tor & Stakeholders Workshop held at the Holiday Inn on 13th February, 2017.

4 AGR IC UL TUR E N IUS VO L UME 38, ISSUES 1 & 2, JAN UA R Y—FEB R UAR Y, 2017


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The Department of Agriculture and Livestock and Agricultural Sector Commodity Agencies and Stakeholders held a successful one-day workshop on the 13th February to discuss the sector participation in the PNG APEC 2018.

Officials from DAL, agricultural agencies and stakeholders met with the PNG APEC Secretariat at Holiday Inn for discussions on a number of issues in preparation for the APEC meeting next year.

The theme of the workshop was “Investing in Productivity-led Growth for a Better Future” and involved presentations from the APEC Secretariat, DAL and other agencies including Investment Pro-motion Authority, Department of Foreign Affairs, National Fisheries Authority and Rural Industries Council.

DAL’s acting Deputy Secretary for Policy and master of ceremony, Mr John Kendiga said the ob-jective of the workshop was to discuss the signifi-cance and importance of APEC in relation to agri-culture sector, the sector’s role in APEC 2018 and leading to the future, the opportunity to be briefed by APEC Secretariat on the preparations and partic-ularly the role DAL and agricultural sector agencies will play, and establish a sector technical working committee.

DAL Secretary, Dr Vele Pat Ila’ava, in his wel-come speech, said DAL and its agencies are work-ing tirelessly to transform the agriculture sector to make it more vibrant and dynamic, however, the people need more assistance in order to improve their livelihood and every effort needs to be made to

boost the sector. He said the agriculture sector is ready to deliver and the people can benefit more from agriculture. Despite minimum support from Government and the increasing challenges, every-one must continue to work hard and seek innova-tions to support agriculture.

Dr Ila’ava said agriculture is one of the core sec-tors in the 2018 Priority Policy Deliverables and DAL is expected to target and deliver on certain key policy areas under the APEC agenda. DAL will co-ordinate the involvement of stakeholders of the agri-culture sector to facilitate the development of appro-priate sector policies as that will be part of the APEC 2018 Priority Policy Deliverables.

DAL Deputy Secretary for Technical Services, Mr Steven Mombi described the workshop as suc-cessful and said a lot of important issues were dis-cussed by the participants. He said the workshop has enabled the department, its sectoral agencies and stakeholders to work together and move forward in preparing agriculture sector agendas for APEC con-sideration. He agreed that there must be continued dialogue amongst the agriculture sector agencies and with the APEC Secretariat during 2017 and 2018 in the lead up to the APEC meeting.

Officials from the APEC Secretariat, including the Director-General, Mr Lahui Ako, who delivered the keynote address, said the APEC meeting pro-vides a greater opportunity for PNG to benefit in the agriculture, fisheries and forestry sectors and urged DAL and its agencies to prepare themselves well with their priorities for strengthening these sectors.

DAL and Agriculture sector prepare for 2018 APEC

Report of Design completion mission: 16 January to February 2017

At the request of the Government of Papua New Guinea (GoPNG) and in line with IFAD’s (International Fund for Agriculture) new Country Strategy Note for Papua New Guinea (PNG), the GoPNG and IFAD have undertaken the design of a new project investment to improve smallholders’ access to services and markets in target value chains, through different types of partnerships with agribusiness. A Detailed Design Mission visited PNG in June 2016, which produced a first draft Pro-ject Design Report (PDR) in July 2016. A follow-up mission visited the country in October 2016 to gath-er feedback on the draft PDR and paved the way for the final design mission.

A Design Completion Mission visited PNG from 16 January to 3 February 2017. The design team had meetings in Port Moresby with the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of the Department of Agriculture and Livestock (DAL), the Assistant Governor of the Bank of PNG, the Director and staff of the Centre of Excellence for Financial Inclusion (CEFI), and sen-ior staff from DAL, the Department of Treasury (DoT) and the Department of Finance (DoF). The mission also met with financial institutions, retail-ers, food services and shipping companies, and with development partners - New Zealand High Commis-sion, Australian High Commission, Australian Cen-tre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), European Union (EU), World Bank

IFAD – Investing in rural people


VO L UME 38, ISSUES 1 & 2, JAN UA R Y—FEB R UAR Y, 2017 AGR IC UL TUR E N IUS, 5

The principal of Kome Agricultural Services Ltd, former high school agriculture teacher, Mr John Mebil, says the aim is to work in partnership with cooperative farmer groups in the six provinces to produce bulb onion and arrange for transportation and securing marketing opportunities.

Under the arrangement, there will be technical advice and assistance provided to interested farmer groups to grow bulb onion and sell to main markets secured in Port Moresby and other outlets. A key

Farmers in six provinces are being given the opportunity to participate in a bulb onion com-mercialisation project.

The move is the initiative of the newly-established Agricultural Cooperative College of Pa-pua New Guinea (ACC-PNG), a subsidiary of Kome Agricultural Services Ltd.

Farmers, especially those involved in farmer co-operative society groups, are encouraged to partici-pate in the pilot phase of the bulb onion project be-ing set up in the Western Highlands, Jiwaka, Simbu, Eastern Highlands, Morobe and Central Provinces. The concept will be expanded to other provinces if the pilot project becomes successful.

New agricultural college aims to promote bulb onion

(WB), ADB-financed Pacific Private Sector Development Initiative and Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access Pro-gramme, and WB/IFAD/EU-financed Productive Partnerships in Agriculture Project (PPAP).

From 16 to 29 January 2017, the design team travelled to Eastern Highlands, Jiwaka, Western Highlands, Morobe and East New Britain (ENB). It met the General Manager of the Fresh Produce De-velopment Agency (FPDA), visited FPDA head-quarters in Goroka and provincial offices in Lae (Morobe) and Kokopo (ENB). It also met with the Deputy Provincial Administrators of Morobe and East New Britain, as well as Provincial Departments of Primary Industries, farmers, traders, agribusiness companies and service providers, including the Na-tional Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) and PPAP Coffee and Cocoa Project Monitoring Units (PMUs).

Throughout all the visits to the provinces, the design team was accompanied by the DAL Acting Deputy Secretary Policy as well as by FPDA Gen-eral Manager or his staff. In addition, many working sessions were held with FPDA technical and admin-istrative staff, both in the provinces and in Port Mo-resby, to discuss detailed technical and financial im-plementation arrangements.

The wrap-up meeting and discussion to conclude the Design Report was presented by Agnes Deshormes, IFAD Team Leader and chaired by the Secretary, DAL, on 3 February 2017. In presenting the final project concept note in the presence of the representatives of DAL, FPDA, Provinces, NARI, PPAP, Fresh Produce Farmers Association and Cen-tre of Excellence for Financial Inclusion, Ms Deshormes said the objective of developing the con-

cept of Market for Village Farmers (MVF() is to achieve sustainable increased return to small farm-ers from increased production volumes and quality value chains, improved market linkages, efficient farmers’ organisation and higher farmers’ share. This is to be achieved by improving farmers access to markets, technologies and services in the target value chains, through different types of business partnerships involving small farmers’ inclusion and supporting policies and institutional capacities re-quired to ensure sustainability. She added that the MVF project will predomi-nately focus on the fresh produce sub-sector. Value chain analysis has confirmed that there is a growing demand for fresh produce originating from the PNG Highlands, that smallholders have the po-tential to meet market requirements at a competitive price, and that an increasing number of micro and small traders are emerging to supply a large range of markets across the country. The project will be im-plemented by FPDA. FPDA will be assisted by pro-vincial teams. The project will enable FPDA trans-form fresh produce and marketing in the country. She concluded in thanking DAL and FPDA for their participation in the mission and extends its warmest thanks to all the persons met for their time, readi-ness to share knowledge and information and their contribution to refining the project design. In clos-ing, DAL Secretary, Dr Vele Ila’ava thanked IFAD for the initiative to boost and modernize agriculture production in the country. He said such assistance comes at the time when the Government of Papua New Guinea is looking at developing the agriculture sector and challenged the value chain to become proactive in business




Senior officers from the Department of Finance have met with Department of Agriculture and Livestock to explain the purpose and role of In-ternal Audit (IA) and Audit Committees.

Department of Finance’s Internal Audit & Com-pliance Division, First Assistant Secretary, Mr Tess Wingi, lead his team that met with senior DAL offi-cials.

In his presentation to DAL staff, Mr Wingi ex-plained the definition of internal auditing, purpose of internal auditing, role of internal auditing, effec-tiveness of internal auditing, internal audit report-ing, internal audit code of ethics, and audit commit-tees.

DAL will be among the 42 national departments, provincial administrations and statutory agencies to have established audit committees since 2005.

Mr Wingi said that internal audit is aimed at as-sisting the management in improving the agency’s business performance. It provides an independent and objective review and advisory services to the particular organization. Internal audit basically ex-ists to ensure compliance of business rules and laws. It provides assurance to management that the agen-cy’s internal controls designed to manage the opera-tional risks and achieve the agency’s objectives, are operating effectively and efficiently.

The role of internal auditing, as explained by Mr Wingi, is to establish and carry out a set of work plan that assists management in mitigating risks and improving effectiveness, assist individuals and groups within the agency to do better in their roles,

and provide effective reporting that gives clear, con-cise and achievable recommendations to manage-ment to address the issues, support external auditors to complete their constitutional function, to com-municate openly with management, external audi-tors and the audit committee.

Mr Wingi emphasized that for an internal audit to be fully effective it must have full support of the management and be objective. Internal audit must be resourced, have skilled and competent staff, audi-tors focused on their role, good work ethics and proper training program.

He said internal audit staff must exercise hones-ty, objectivity, diligence and be loyal to the depart-ment, should not discredit the department, have no conflict of interest and not accept bribery etc. He said they must follow the internal audit code of eth-ics, the public service code of ethics and business conduct and code of dressing.

Mr Wingi told the DAL staff that it is a legisla-tive requirement that internal audit units and audit committees be established in national departments, provincial administrations and statutory bodies.

Audit committees play an advisory role in nature and are backed by the Public Finances (Management) Act. Its primary role is to assist the agency heads and their senior management to com-ply with established laws and strengthen its corpo-rate governance. It does not take over or away the functions or responsibilities of the agency heads and senior management.

Role of Internal Audit and Audit Committee in DAL

objective was to ensure continuous supply to the consumers.

Mr Mebil said he is calling on interested and genuine farmer groups to join the partnership and earn reasonable income through regular sales. He said extension advisory services will be provided to ensure that the farmers become successful bulb on-ion growers.

He said the first 20 tonnes shipment of bulb on-ion is expected to come from Simbu Province to Port Moresby soon.

Mr Mebil, who used to operate the Port Moresby Farmer Training Centre, outside Port Moresby, said he has secured 28 hectares of suitable land at Vana-pa in the Kairuku-Hiri electorate, to establish the new Agricultural Cooperative College, which will give priority to bulb onion farming activities, in-cluding extension and training of trainers who will

carry out the tasks of promoting bulb onion farming. The main focus will be on bulb onion and later on the project will look at other potential crops.

Mr Mebil said he is also seeking interested agri-cultural graduates to take up jobs with the project. He said these graduates will be given the task to train farmers in the provinces.

Mr Mebil, one time agriculture teacher at Laloki High School (now Secondary School) also urged his former students and trainees of Port Moresby Farm-ers Training Centre, to submit expressions of inter-est.

He added that farmers in the Central Province were closer to secured markets in the nation’s capi-tal and can quickly get themselves organized and be part of the initiative in the early stages.

Interested people can contact him on 75899248/76851410/79696513/71988745.


Preparations for a full feasibility study of the proposed Bulldog oil palm project have now tak-en a positive step forward.

This follows the issuing of two certificates of recognition of Incorporated Land Group (ILG) by the Department of Lands and Physical Planning.

The certificates for the Anate Qayaha and Hetan ILGs were formally handed over to the executives of the landowner company, Ngoena Bulldog Oil Palm Ltd in Port Moresby in a small but significant ceremony.

Department of Lands and Physical Planning sen-ior impact project officer, Mr Albert Manape, pre-sented the official certificates to Ngoena Bull Oil Palm Ltd Chairman, Mr Mathew Akama, at the De-partment of Agriculture and Livestock southern re-gional office. DAL southern regional director, Mr Leka Mou, Ngoena company managing director, Mr Sydor Utaeo, and other officials witnessed the presentation.

Mr Akama and those who spoke thanked the De-partment of Lands and Physical Planning for work-ing hard to complete the two ILGs which will assist in getting the full feasibility study underway some-

time in 2017.

Mr Akama, however, stressed that 2017 will again be another challenging year for the Landown-er Company, key government departments and stakeholders in preparing to undertake the feasibility study as they require substantial funding for the ex-ercise.

He made further appeals to the National Govern-ment, Morobe and Gulf Provincial Governments, politicians from the project areas and others to con-tinue to support the project with further allocation of funding in 2017.

Mr Manape, Mr Mou and company officials ex-pressed the need for cooperation from all stakehold-ers and appealed to landowners to work together and avoid any disputes which may hinder the progress of the project. They said the cooperation of the land-owners is important in getting the feasibility study completed in 2017 and ensuring that the project will get to the stage of actual implementation.

The proposed Bulldog project is regarded as a major impact project that will bring changes and boost the people’s livelihood at the borders of Morobe and Gulf and others as well.

Bulldog Oil Palm project Landowners receive ILG certificates

Mr Akama (third from right) holding the two ILG certificates presented by Mr Manape (fourth from left). Seated on right is Mr Mou. DAL southern region staff and landowner company officials also witnessed the occasion


AGR IC UL TUR E N IUS 7 VO L UME 38, ISSUES 1 & 2, JAN UA R Y—FEB R UAR Y, 2017



DAL Director of Information, Mr Nicks Maniha, and some officers met with representatives from TrendMedia Pacific Ltd to discuss the products and services offered by the media company.

TrendMedia Pacific, a subsidiary of the Digicel Group of Companies, provides 360 multi-media so-lutions across SMS, TV, Digital Media and Com-mercial Production. The company is involved in creative solutions, advertising, digital media, media management, monitoring and evaluation. They also do website and app development, social media and online advertising.

Two Advertising Sales Executives from the com-

Media company offers support to DAL

pany, Ms Ella Segovia, and Ms Afea Alisha Khar-toon, told Mr Maniha and his officers, including DAL Public Relations and Media Officer, Mr Sol-dier Buruka, and IT Systems Analyst, Mr Timothy Timothy, that they were offering a number of prod-ucts and services to DAL and the agriculture sector. They said that DAL and its agencies can reach more people, especially farmers, in a most cost effective way by utilizing the products and services offered by TrendMedia. The company can work together with DAL and its agencies to plan an integrated me-dia campaign.

Caption: L to R, Mrs Afea Alisha Khartoon, Ms Ella Segovia, Mr Busisi Siwaka, Mr Timothy Timothy, Mr Nicks Maniha, Mr Sol-

dier Buruka.

Top; Fresh catch for a beach picnic, at Iokea village, Gulf Province.

Right; Mahiro Kilori from Iokea village, Gulf Province enjoys raising poultry for a living. He says you can make good money from sale of your poultry products during festive periods such as Christmas and New Year.


AGR IC UL TUR E N IUS 9 VO L UME 38, ISSUES 1 & 2, JAN UA R Y—FEB R UAR Y, 2017

Name: Heai Steven Hoko. Substantive Position: Irrigation Agronomist (National Project Coordinator for Smallholder Rice Project). Branch: DAL Food Security (Rice Extension Unit), Port Moresby. Educational Qualification: Degree in Agriculture Science from PNG University of Technology. Training Program: Post Graduate Diploma in Sci-ence and Technology from 27th Feb. 2017, to 30th Nov. 2017. Depending on progress results, continue on to do Master of Science programme (Agricultural) from 26th Feb. 2018, to 29th Feb. 2020. Institution: Massey University Palmersteon North, New Zealand. Duration: 3 years, full time. Sponsor: New Zealand Government - under the New Zealand Aid Pacific Scholarship. AN: Mr Heai Steven Hoko, Agriculture Nius un-derstands that you are due for studies Overseas this year. Can you please briefly provide some information on your proposed course of study for our readers? HSH: Thank you. Ok, the course I will be doing is a Post Graduate Diploma. It’s called Graduate Diploma in Science and Technology. It’s basically a bridging program for a year which starts in February this year (2017) and ends in November. Based on my final examination scores, if I am successful I will proceed to another two years for a Masters pro-gram, maybe on research basis.

AN: Who is sponsoring the course?

HSH: It’s a New Zealand Government scholarship called – the “New Zealand Aid Pacific Scholarship.” It basically covers all my tuition, my living expens-

es, study expenses, and my travel to and fro.

AN: What is your particular area of interest in your studies and how are you gearing up for it?

HSH: Basically, what I am doing is Science and Technology in terms of rural development, and bit of business aspects of agriculture or, agro-business, including international trade, as well as basic sci-ence subjects on food, horticulture and other things that are associated with food crops and horticulture.

Right now, the course is designed in such a way so that, before I go, from the programs offered, I have to select - through the internet, the courses that match my need for what I want to achieve in the training itself. So I’ve been very busy on the internet doing that. But I have to juggle with all the courses offered so that classes don’t clash and the examina-tion dates don’t clash either.

AN: Is the DAL contributing anything towards your studies?

HSH: DAL is assisting me with travel and transit allowances.

AN: What is your general view of agriculture de-velopment in PNG?

HSH: Right now, the whole country is facing fi-nancial crisis. Why is this so? May be our sources of income is very narrow – we are getting money from few sources like; the mining, gas, forestry, and few others. Agriculture is also contributing to our inter-nal revenue but we don’t know how much it is. This country needs to develop its agricultural economy.

Our country should have broad based economic activity where Government can then collect revenue through taxes and duties, through agriculture.

At the moment our agriculture is subsistence or rural based. We shouldn’t remain at the smallholder subsistence level all the time. We need to scale-up our production capacity or, operation to a level where we start using agro-business and trade princi-ples.

We can trade all over the world what we produce

Interview: Heai Steven Hoko – Irrigation Agronomist



better than now, or even before so that we bring in much needed foreign reserves, income generation. In doing so, we broaden our country’s revenue base because of increase in production and trade, so we bring in more internal revenue.

AN: How do you think your course of study will benefit the Department, and the agriculture sec-tor in the long run?

HSH: I have this firm belief that we can make a lot of money through agriculture. My view about going to this course is not only to broaden my skills and my knowledge in the areas discussed but also to see what other countries are doing, for example New Zealand – a country that is similar in land mass as PNG but with its economy based entirely on agri-culture.

It is also to learn about things we can apply back into this country, particularly agro-business, interna-tional trade, improving our agriculture for trade.

AN: Who will carry on your responsibilities when you are on studies?

HSH: Ok, in regard to this office, my substantive position is Irrigation Agronomist but soon after be-ing part of that DAL-JICA Bilateral Technical Co-operation on Smallholder rice we have agronomist and project staff who have been mobilized into what we now call REU (Rice Extension Unit).

REU was created through executive decision by our former Secretary, Mr. Anton Benjamin in 2007. That decision was based on our JICA expert advice


that in order to sustain our activity in the Depart-ment we need to create a Unit. The Unit will be-come the repository of all the materials that were generated through the project – like our guidelines on smallholder rice, milling services, guidelines on monitoring and evaluation of smallholder rice and all the staff we left behind. This Unit will look after that.

And late Verave Gavali was the coordinator or head of the Unit. But since his passing, I have taken over - I’m in charge, but when I leave it will be up to my Director how he will see the Rice Extension Unit sustained and managed. But I hope that one of the two officers who are still around will take lead-ership of this Unit and carry on its activities into the future.

It is important because we have things we have evolved or, developed under this project and if we don’t do that all those things will be laid to waste and nobody will take it on from there. And it has to be seen to sustain because at the end of the last pro-ject, I and a Milne Bay counterpart, we visited JICA Tsukuba in Japan. We made a commitment to JICA that we will sustain the activity through monitoring and evaluation of our activities in the four provinces (Madang, East Sepik, Milne Bay and Manus) - who also made a commitment. Post-project, each prov-ince will try to upscale their activity from support-ing the smallholder to model farmer approach to a next stage where provinces look at developing mod-el large-scale rice production.

AN: Thank you Mr Hoko. We wish you all the best in your studies in New Zealand.

Roger Suat is Senior GIS (Geographic Infor-mation System) officer with the Department of Agriculture and Livestock Land Use Section un-der the Technical Services Division.

Suat took up Post Graduate studies at the Masters level in GIS at the University of Queensland in Aus-tralia in 2016. He has completed the first year suc-cessfully and is now continuing into his second year of studies. He hopes to complete his studies by the middle of 2018.

“GIS is something to do with digital mapping of natural resources,” Suat explains. “Some of the things I am studying mainly involves remote sens-ing using satellite images, and digital processing for use in planning and land resource management,

etc.”

Roger believes the program would be very useful in the agriculture sector because GIS and remote sensing technology has been used widely in re-source management, planning and many other fields, such as resources and urban planning sectors because it is a cross-cutting technology.

“Agriculture can widely use this technology be-cause it has been widely proven throughout the world that most countries are using GIS/Remote sensing technology to do farm planning, manage-ment, weather forecasting, etc.,” Suat said.

After completing his studies Suat hopes to con-tribute more towards planning and resource manage-ment in the agriculture sector.

GIS Officer on Study Leave

VO L UME 38, ISSUES 1 & 2, JAN UA R Y & FEBR UAR Y, 2017 AGR IC UL TUR E N IUS, 11


Agricultural activities are expected to continue to suffer from the effects of the recent EL Nino weather patterns, the National Weather Service says.

National Weather Service assistant director Jim-my Gomoga said the El Nino period from 2014 to 2015 had affected the soil.

“Although the El Nino situation has gone and everything is back to normal, the effects are still be-ing felt especially in agricultural activities,” Go-moga told The National on Wednesday 11/01/2017.

“It takes quite a while for the plants to really take that moisture from the soil so the impacts of the El Nino are still around.”

Gomoga said the La Nina situation was needed to stabilize and restore the soil moisture.

“We need the La Nina situation to restore the soil moisture,” he said.

At the moment the impacts of El Nino will re-main because there is an imbalance in the soil mois-ture.

EL NINO AFFECTING AGRICULTURE

According to a report during the La Nina phe-nomena, the warmest waters are located closer to Australia and PNG which brought increased rainfall occurrences towards our region.

Source: The National, Thursday, January 12, 2017

Photographs source, taken from the Internet “Effects of El Nino on agri-culture in Papua New Guinea—images.”

______________________________ __________________________________

Tommy Tomscoll (MP) Dr. Vele Pat Ila'ava

Minister for Agriculture & Livestock Secretary

Department of Agriculture & Livestock

D E PAR T ME N T O F AG R I CU LT UR E A ND L I V ES T O C K

V I S I ON AN D M IS S IO N S TATE ME N T

“Proverbs 29 : 18 – Where there is no vision, the people perish.”

PNG‘s agriculture is a climate-smart and export-oriented business to pro-vide rural development, wealth crea-

tion and food security.

Take an active role in transforming the agriculture sector, provide sound professional policy advice, high quali-ty and effective technical and admin-istrative support to inspire and em-power optimal performance of all key

stakeholders.

Condolence Message

The Minister, Secretary, Staff and Management of the Department of Agriculture & Livestock convey our profound and sincere sympathy to the family and relatives of our late colleague for his untimely passing.

The late JAMES JAOI GITAI, a very dedicated, committed and loyal officer, who served the Department of Agriculture & Livestock with distinction for 13 years, as Principal

Project Planner with the Southern Regional Office. He also worked with the Cocoa Coconut Institute for 7 years and Spice Industry Board for 3 years. Late James Gitai was also a consultant to the UNDP, AusAid and National Planning, and worked on many development projects. He also published many agricultural technical documents and reports. He held a Bachelor Degree in Agricultural Science from University of PNG and Master of Science (MSc.) in Spatial Planning & Management for Regions in Growing Econo-mies, jointly from the Universities of Dortmund (Germany) and Asian Institute of Technology (Thailand).

He will be missed by immediate family, colleagues and friends all around the country.

May His Soul Rest in Eternal Peace

transform the agriculture sector no€¦ · apec meeting photos 3 mindset and positive attitude and...

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