Healthy, sustainable and inclusive food systems are critical to achieve the country’s development goals. Agricultural development is one of the most powerful tools to end extreme poverty, boost shared prosperity, and feed a projected 10 million people in PNG. Growth in the agriculture sector is two to four times more effective in raising incomes among the poorest compared to other sectors.
According to a World Bank report in September of 2023 on a global scale, agriculture is also crucial to economic growth: accounting for 4% of global gross domestic product (GDP) and in some least developing countries, it can account for more than 25% of GDP.
For the Central Province Agriculture is at the heart of the Governor Rufina Peter having knowledge and a background in this field, the Governor is well placed to understand the impact that Agriculture can have in the province and this has moved Governor Peter to fund and support two major agriculture impact projects in the Central Province.
The Agricultural projects are the Yaugala Cattle Farming Project conducted under the Varagadi Land Group Incorparated at Brown River which was given funding support of K200, 000 and the Bulb onion training and demonstration plots which will be conducted under the Highlands Potatoe Connections at Laloki in the Hiri Koiari District and 14 mile just outside of Port Moreby was supported with K100, 000 both funding coming given by the Central Provincial Government.
“The extent of the impact will depend on the both of you, on how you run your farm business, given that the bulb onion guy has experience and you raising cattle its your first time you have support from my office with Michael Atuai who is the Agriculture Projects officer in my office, and there are livestock officers I know we can utilize.” Governor Peter said.
The funding was given in the presence of Hiri Koiari MP Keith Iduhu who reached out to both receipients urging them to align their projects with his. The two projects will employ unemployed youths in the province who are sitting idle, already the Yaugala Cattle farming Manager Elliot Mark Yamuje confirmed that six youths have been employed to assist with more to be engaged.
“Cattle farming died out in the Central Province being part of the landowner group I want to bring that back and already we have started we have 30 heads of cattle that we bought from our own funds from Rumion Farm in Lae that are grazing 40 hectares of prime land, already six youths are working for us and now with your funding support we can extend a little and now bring in two to three male bulls and ultimately we are looking at being main distributor in the province suppliying beef to the Papua LNG Project.” Yamuje said.
The other project set to make a major impact is the bulb onion training and demonstration plots conducted under the Highalnds Potatoe Connections which will be a model and demonstration shown at Laloki and 14 mile respectively.
Joshua Lumbalumba from Goroka is the man behind the bulb onion, having his beginings in the Highlands growing the bulb onion and relocating to the Central Province Mr. Lumbalumba claims that Central Province has the best climate to produce world class bulb onion that can replace the imported variety found in the shops and market in Port Moresby.
“I am a farmer of different vegetables but initially I was discovered by Fresh Produce Development Agency (FPDA), they discovered me growing my own onion as I was the first to plant bulb onion up in Daulo, and hired me to be the village extension worker for FPDA, and this is where I shared my knowledge on bulb onion and this is where my knowledge was used to train villages in Gembog and that’s how Gembog onion is all over the market.
I have my own farm and over the years I developed my knowledge on how to grow marketable sizes of bulb onions, the onions from Gembog contain a lot of moisture compared to the ones at Daulo from where I’m from because there is heat but I believe Central Province will have the best because the climate is perfect.” Lumbalumba stated.
The Governors initial plans is for the Laloki and 14 mile bulb onion plots to be training and demonstration models where those interested can learn about how to grow onion and take it back to their various districts in the province and teach others.
~Office of Central Governor,2024
