Posted 4:30 PM by Luigi
News from PNG

From the DIDINET newsletter (Editor (seniorl.anzu@nari.org.pg), PNG National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI).

Woman farmer receives International Award

A Papua New Guinean farmer and women leader has been recognised internationally for being one of the most outstanding role models for women farmers in PNG. From Mutzin in the Markham valley, Maria Linibi (51), was bestowed with an international award by Switzerland based Women’s World Summit Foundation for her leading role in agricultural innovations and rural development.

This year’s award, titled “Women’s Creativity in Rural Life”, was given to 14 laureates from around the world and Mrs Linibi was among five from the Asia and Oceania category. Other awardees under this category were two from China and one each from India and Indonesia.

Mrs Linibi was nominated by PNG’s National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) and the Queensland Department of Primary Industry, Australia.

A proud Mrs Linibi said women’s silent whispers have been heard around the globe. Said Mrs Linibi: “To be recognised in the world is a privilege to me, PNG women farmers and the farming community at large”.

A highly competent farmer and business women in her own right, Mrs Linibi and her husband have huge experiences as farmers and trainers in agriculture. They have stood out as model farmers and their potentials are well recognised within the PNG farming and agriculture circles.

Mrs Linibi worked as a public servant with the Western Highlands Provincial Government for many years and after resigning in 1990, she has gone into farming with her husband and became successful. She has tirelessly used her experience to stimulate and encourage women farmers in a range of skills and techniques in farming throughout the country.

Some of the agricultural research and development organisations that Mrs Linibi works with as a farmer, farmer representative, trainer and farmer extension worker include NARI, Fresh Produce Development Agency, Cocoa and Coconut Institute, Department of Agriculture and Livestock, Ramu Sugar Limited and the Republic of China on Taiwan. Mrs Linibi is also a member of the NARI Council, representing PNG women farmers and smallholders from the Momase region.

Morobe Agricultural Show

The 46th Morobe Provincial Agricultural Show was again organised by the Show Society from November 4-5, 2006. Thousands of farmers, school students and people of all works of life flocked the Lae Show Ground to see displays and demonstrations and other entertaining activities. A number of agricultural research and development organisations showcased their initiatives on agricultural and rural development in PNG. These included Cocoa Coconut Institute, Department of Agriculture and Livestock, National Agricultural Research Institute, Coffee Industry Corporation and Alele Fresh Produce. Agribusinesses such as Trukai Industries and Ramu Sugar Limited again took the centre stage - also as sponsors of the two-day event.

Exhibitors ensured farmers and show goers got value for their money by providing them with information and technologies on a range of issues in food crop and livestock production, post harvest and down stream processing of food and other goods from locally available resources using simple techniques, and many more.

Adding flavour to these were the demonstration plots with life plants near stalls of some of these agricultural organisations at the showground.

PNG’s wild food crop species under microscope

A number of wild species of food crops in PNG have attracted the attention of the international community for characterization and documentation as experts believed they have no records of their existence. Scientists from Japan’s National Institute of Agro-Biological Sciences (NIAS) were in the country in July 2006 to collect wild rice (oryza spp.), wild vigna species, sago and other food crops species. This trip was their final in line with a Memorandum of Understanding with NARI three years ago to collect, conserve, characterize and document wild relatives of food crop species. They were in the Western and Gulf Provinces with staff from the National Agricultural Research Institute’s (NARI) Plant Genetic Resources rogramme.

NIAS learnt from old archives and herbarium specimens in Europe that PNG has a number of wild rice and wild vigna species. The MOU was for the scientists to identify what these species are and document what PNG has in the wild.

NARI PGR Programme Leader Rosa Kambuou said the scientific knowledge on these crop species is broaden and scientists now know where these wild progenitors are located and found in the country. She said the team is characterizing these collected germplasm through DNA fingerprinting techniques, adding that the wild rice of PNG are 'tetraploids' and would not be used in improvement programmes with the domesticated species, Oryza sativa, which is a 'diploid'.

The team collected not only wild relatives of vigna and rice but also of cassava, sago, bean, banana and aibika.