Potato production in Papua New Guinea is about to take a leap forward with the completion of a new tissue culture laboratory for the Fresh Produce Development Agency (FPDA) set to boost production in the country as stated in a media release by the Australian High Commission.
The laboratory which was opened in Kainantu on the 12th of September 2023 will help to produce clean, disease-free potato and sweet potato seeds for planting materials that will be distributed to surrounding communities that will see the number of available seeds double and improve productivity across the country.
This project was funded by the Australian Government’s Incentive Fund Program and is complemented by a new training center which will enable the FPDA to increase its scope of agricultural extension training programs by 10% to reach up to 8,551 farming households.
The training will be accredited by the National Training Council and will contribute to improve food and nutrition security, quality of life, income and business opportunities for farming communities and others who depend on the horticulture sector for subsistence and livelihoods as stated in the media release.
Australian High Commissioner Jon Philp spoke to the people when he visited the community as the project came to its final stages of completion.
“This facility is an example of Australia and PNG working with local partners to increase livelihoods and empower farmers to create better outcomes for their families and communities.”
Since the year 2016, the national potato scheme has faced challenges meeting supply demands with several periods where seeds and plantlets were not available for months at a time that caused an inconsiderable setback for farmers, agribusinesses, and cooperatives.
According to FPDA CEO Mark Worinu, the new facility will provide excellent training resources as well as increase yields and driving productivity in the local community.
““There are ten self-contained units onsite in addition to the classrooms and e-Library, including access for persons with disability.”
“Through our partnerships with local tertiary institutions, we are encouraging a wide range of training and education at the facility which will become a hub of knowledge.”
As the new facility will help to ensure and support a steady supply of disease and pest free materials that will improve sustainability of the FPDA industry, the integrated development and training center will be fully fitted out with a library, office, classrooms, and a fully equipped laboratory.
The laboratory will also double up as a seed bank for indigenous crops while the Irish Potato seeds and plantlets will yield and other commercial crops such as bulb onion and sweet potato will also be targeted for distribution.
Meanwhile the Australian Government has invested more than K21 million into economic development to support agriculture and rural development across PNG through phase four (4) of the Incentive Fund Program.
Applications are open for projects from all development sectors including health, education, agriculture, water, sanitation and hygiene and economic development as Phase five(5) of the Incentive Fund commenced on the 1st of July 2023. Visit https://incentivefund.org/ to apply.