Project Name：Agriculture Integrated Development Project (Papua New Guinea)

Project status：Completed projects

Cooperating Country：Asia-Pacific, Papua New Guinea

Project Description：

In the white paper on national policy of Papua New Guinea (Hereinafter referred to as “PNG”), agriculture development is the priority. For strengthening food security in PNG, improve local food production and achieve import substitution.The stage of agriculture development is just beginning in PNG, especially in food crops production. The problems after observing were as below: 1.The rice farmers is shortage of good quality rice seeds to plant; 2. Food crops can’t supply to the markets constantly because the production is unstable; 3. Technology of cultivation is not enough; 4. The land can’t develop and use it effective, because the landownership is not clear.
The goals of project are below:
1. To improve the rice seeds production system, produce rice stock seeds and extension seeds.
2. Regularly produce 5 crops which recommended in Erap farm, include papaya, water melon, corn, pumpkin and sweet potato.
3. Assist the prisoners in C.I.S. (Corrective Institutional Services) to learn the technology of corn farming.
4. Assist agriculture schools to do the land development.

Project No：TCD-2011-E05

Implementation Start Date：2011-01-01

Implementation End Date：2014-12-31

Project Objectives：

1. Establish a rice seed propagation center; produce stock seed over 0.3 hectares and extension seed over 2.5 hectares for an estimated yield of 1.5 tons of stock seed and 13 tons of extension seed per season.
2. Establish four extension seed farms — two each in two provinces, with fields at each farm covering 1 hectare, i.e. an anticipated production area of 4 hectares.
3. Provide skills training to Department of Agriculture and Livestock personnel on planting and cultivating rice.
4. Assist stakeholders at Erap farm to plant papaya, watermelon, sweet corn, sweet potato and pumpkin over plots totaling 5 hectares; provide training to persons from correctional facilities to plant and cultivate maize.

Executing Agency：

Taiwan Technical Mission in Papua New Guinea / Department of Agriculture and Livestock (Papua New Guinea)

Current Progress：

To the end of December 2014, the following activities have been completed:

In 2011:
1. Planted stock seed over 0.3 hectares, extension seed over 5 hectares and assisted farmers in setting out rice extension seed fields over 0.5 hectares.
2. Performed trials of watermelon and melon, each planted over 0.25 hectares.
3. Planted watermelon over 0.5 hectares and sweet corn over 1 hectare at Erap farm.

In 2012:
1. Planted stock seed over 0.6 hectares, extension seed over 4.8 hectares and assisted farmers in setting out rice extension seed fields over 0.5 hectares.
2. Assisted the Department of Agriculture and Livestock in setting out 1-hectare rice extension seed fields in Morobe province and Mandang province.
3. Assisted in planting at Erap farm, including papaya over 0.59 hectares, watermelon over 1.61 hectares, sweet corn over 2.36 hectares, sweet potato over 1.42 hectares and pumpkin over 0.54 hectares.
4. Assisted prisoners with the Corrective Institutions Service in cultivating maize.
5. Established an irrigation system at Erap farm.
6. Assisted two church schools, Bumayong and Naweab, in developing 5 hectares of land for cultivation.

In 2013:
1. Planted stock seed over 0.6 hectares and extension seed over 4.95 hectares.
2. Assisted the Department of Agriculture and Livestock in setting out 1-hectare rice extension seed fields in East Highland province and Chimbu province.
3. Distributed a total of 17,900 kg of rice seed to provinces over the year.
4. Assisted in planting at Erap farm, including papaya over 0.5 hectares, watermelon over 1.5 hectares, sweet corn over 2 hectares, sweet potato over 0.5 hectares and pumpkin over 0.5 hectares.
5. Assisted prisoners with the Corrective Institutions Service in cultivating maize, planting and harvesting over a total of 10 hectares.

In 2014:
1. Rice seed production to date has yielded 2,500 kg of stock seed and 25,000 kg of extension seed.
2. As part of assistance to the Department of Agriculture and Livestock to produce rice extension seed, 4 hectares have been planted and 4 hectare has been harvested.
3. Distributed a total of 7,750 kg of rice seed to provinces to date over the year.
4. Held two rice farming workshop and one field day.
5. Assisted in planting at Erap farm, including papaya over 0.5 hectares, watermelon over 1.5 hectares, sweet corn over 2.0 hectares, sweet potato over 0.5 hectares and pumpkin over 0.5 hectares.
6. Assisted prisoners with the Corrective Institutions Service in the continuing cultivation of maize; also planted 10 hectares of sweet corn.
7. Developed 5 hectares of public land.

Projected Benefits：

1. Establishing stock seed and extension seed fields will help to maintain the purity and viability of rice seed, and holding workshops and field days will allow agricultural officers and farmers to improve their cultivation skills. To make it easier for farmers to obtain seeds, four extension seed fields will be set out.
2. The project will support the stable production of crops at Erap farm.
By providing assistance and developing fields over large tracts of land, the project can establish a model for the development and use of farmland, raising the utility and value of land.

Mission：Taiwan Technical Mission in Papua New Guinea