PGR News from the Pacific

Posted 4:28 PM by Luigi

Improved planting materials distributed in PNG Highlands

From the DIDINET Newsletter. Contributions can be sent to the Editor (seniorl.anzu@nari.org.pg), PNG National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI).

Improved planting materials and technologies of food crops for the highlands were multiplied and distributed to farmers at a Field Day at Aiyura, Eastern Highlands Province, late last month. These included varieties of drought tolerant and early maturing sweet potato, high yielding cassava (with low cyanide content) and corn varieties and the popular African yam.

The National Agricultural Research Institute’s (NARI) Main Highlands Programme at Aiyura made this possible through a project under AusAID’s Agricultural Innovations Grant Facility (AIGF). The event was aimed at showcasing and distributing improved planting materials to the highlands farming communities to improve their food security and income.

Farmers also had the opportunity to see research and development work on peanut and highland rice varieties, post harvest and food processing techniques using locally available food resources, yam mini-setting, nursery management skills, basic soil management and crop protection practices, improved crop propagation and multiplication skills using tissue culture techniques and the demonstration of the rope washer pump technology.

More than 1000 people participated, including farmers from the Kainantu and Obura~Wonenara Districts, representatives from the Coffee Industry Corporation, Highlands Fisheries, Aiyura National High School, Summer Institute of Linguistics, Basenangka Vocational School and agriculture advisers from the local governments.

NARI Aiyura Research Programme Leader Akinnapally Ramakrishna said the activity was held to promote nutritive food for good health and further agricultural development in rural communities. Dr Ramakrishna said any form of development in the country would be stagnant without healthy diets. He said a new rice miller and a peanut sheller would be placed soon at the station for people to process their own produce at low costs.



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Box 1828 Boroko National Capital District Papua New Guinea Tel: (675) 3235511 Fax: (675) 3234733 Email: kambuou@global.net.pg Ms Laisene Samuelu Principal Crop Development Officer Crops Division Ministry of Agriculture, Forests, Fisheries & Meteorology P.O. Box 1874 Apia Samoa Tel: (685) 23416-20605 Fax: (685) 20607-23996 Email: lsamuelu@lesamoa.net Mr Jimi Saelea Director of Research Department of Agriculture and Livestock P.O. Box G13 Honiara Guadalcanal Solomon Islands Tel: (677) 27987 Mr Tony Jansen Planting Materials Network Kastom Gaden Association Burns Creek, Honiara P.O. Box 742 Honiara Solomon Islands Tel: (677) 39551 Email: kastomgaden@solomon.com.sb Mr Finao Pole Head of Research Ministry of Agriculture & Forests P.O. Box 14 Nuku'alofa Tonga Tel: (676) 23038 Fax: (676) 24271 Email: thaangana@hotmail.com Mr Frazer Bule Lehi Head of Research Department of Agriculture & Rural Development Private Mail Bag 040 Port Vila Vanuatu Tel: (678) 22525 Fax: (678) 25265 Email: flehi@hotmail.com Other links Other CROP agencies Forum Secretariat University of the South Pacific SPREP Pacific biodiversity Biodiversity hotspots Breadfruit Institute Hawaiian native plants Intellectual property rights Nature Conservancy PBIF PestNet SIDS WWF South Pacific Program Other Pacific organizations Foundation of the Peoples of the South Pacific Micronesian Seminar Te Puna web directory Pacific news Cafe Pacific CocoNET Wireless Island Directory Pacific Islands News Pacific Islands Report Pacific Islands Travel Pacific Time South Pacific travel Time Pacific Interested in GIS? DIVA-GIS	Thursday, May 18, 2006 Posted 4:28 PM by Luigi Improved planting materials distributed in PNG Highlands From the DIDINET Newsletter. Contributions can be sent to the Editor (seniorl.anzu@nari.org.pg), PNG National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI). Improved planting materials and technologies of food crops for the highlands were multiplied and distributed to farmers at a Field Day at Aiyura, Eastern Highlands Province, late last month. These included varieties of drought tolerant and early maturing sweet potato, high yielding cassava (with low cyanide content) and corn varieties and the popular African yam. The National Agricultural Research Institute’s (NARI) Main Highlands Programme at Aiyura made this possible through a project under AusAID’s Agricultural Innovations Grant Facility (AIGF). The event was aimed at showcasing and distributing improved planting materials to the highlands farming communities to improve their food security and income. Farmers also had the opportunity to see research and development work on peanut and highland rice varieties, post harvest and food processing techniques using locally available food resources, yam mini-setting, nursery management skills, basic soil management and crop protection practices, improved crop propagation and multiplication skills using tissue culture techniques and the demonstration of the rope washer pump technology. More than 1000 people participated, including farmers from the Kainantu and Obura~Wonenara Districts, representatives from the Coffee Industry Corporation, Highlands Fisheries, Aiyura National High School, Summer Institute of Linguistics, Basenangka Vocational School and agriculture advisers from the local governments. NARI Aiyura Research Programme Leader Akinnapally Ramakrishna said the activity was held to promote nutritive food for good health and further agricultural development in rural communities. Dr Ramakrishna said any form of development in the country would be stagnant without healthy diets. He said a new rice miller and a peanut sheller would be placed soon at the station for people to process their own produce at low costs. * Comments: Post a Comment	Archive October 2002 November 2002 December 2002 January 2003 February 2003 March 2003 April 2003 May 2003 June 2003 July 2003 August 2003 September 2003 October 2003 November 2003 December 2003 January 2004 February 2004 March 2004 April 2004 May 2004 June 2004 July 2004 August 2004 September 2004 October 2004 November 2004 December 2004 January 2005 February 2005 March 2005 April 2005 May 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005 January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 December 2006 January 2007 February 2007 March 2007 April 2007 May 2007 June 2007 July 2007 August 2007 September 2007 October 2007 November 2007 December 2007 January 2008 February 2008 March 2008 April 2008 May 2008 June 2008 July 2008 August 2008 September 2008 October 2008 November 2008 December 2008 January 2009 February 2009 March 2009 April 2009 May 2009 June 2009 July 2009 August 2009 September 2009 October 2009 November 2009 January 2010 RSS Feed Alternative feed Contact Tevita Something new: Agrobiodiversity Weblog: For discussions of conservation and sustainable use of the genetic resources of crops, livestock and their wild relatives. 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