Photo credit: Islands Business Although the economy has diversified, agriculture remains the backbone of Papua New Guinea's economy, providing a living for the majority of the people, according to Institute of National Affairs (INA) executive director Paul Barker. Agriculture, according to Barker, will be critical in securing PNG's economic and empl...

Photo:  EU-STREIT PNG Programme, in its ongoing efforts to build the capacity of rural entrepreneurs and business activities and to create linkages of value chain actors with the public and private sector in the Sepik Region, supports the formation of a Greater Sepik Secretariat Forum. With the backing of the EU Funded UN Joint STREIT PNG Programme,...

According to Madang Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Kevin Murray, the Pacific Marine Industrial Zone (PMIZ) project in Madang would increase the province's fisheries industry. Despite the lack of certainty about the project, Murray claimed that residents in the Madang area support it because it will create employment. “A number of canneri...

Dr Nelson Simbiken, the chief executive officer of the Papua New Guinea Spice Business Board (PNGSIB), believes there is an opportunity for corruption in the industry and calls for a revision of the PNG Spice Industry Act of 1989. He added that the board's goal would be to examine the Act and establish authority over the following two years. “The sp...

According to James Marape, East Sepik should become the world's vanilla capital and a cocoa trading hub. This isn't impossible, given that Papua New Guinea – mainly through East Sepik – is one of the world's top vanilla producers. The World Bank estimates that PNG will soon overtake Madagascar as the world's second-largest producer. East Sepik is al...

Photo: PM Marape addressing the people of Mengar James Marape has advised East Sepik residents to invest more in agriculture to strengthen the local and national economies. He made the announcement at Mengar, Wewak, during the inauguration of the K500 million Wewak International Port, which Korea sponsored in collaboration with the Papua New Guinea ...

According to the British High Commission in PNG, Papua New Guinea's specialty coffee has consistently received top cupping scores for its unique and distinctive single-origin Arabica coffee. The coffee was pushed by the UK's trade partnerships programme (UKTP), which was provided through the International Trade Centre, Banz Kofi, and the PNG Coffee Ind...

Since 2003, the Japanese government has provided K19.2 million to encourage rice production in East Sepik and Madang, according to Nobuyuki Watanabe, the Japanese Ambassador to Papua New Guinea. “K11.2million was funded in the first phase of the promotion of smallholder rice production project from December 2003 to November 2008,” he said. “Another ...

According to Coffee Industry Corporation Ltd (CICL) board chairman Jerry Kapka, the increase in the levy on green bean coffee exports from 10t to 20t per kilogramme is reasonable. “The increase is not same as 10t administrative levy. With the current scenario facing the coffee industry, the board has seen the need to have a reserved funding source assi...

Photo: Rocky Roe - ABC According to Ambassador Jernej Videtic, the European Union (EU) is willing to provide Papua New Guinea with hundreds of millions of Kina to help the country complete its forestry reforms. “Some of the areas that the EU will help are in environmental data management for carbon trading, knowledge management, green jobs and growt...

Photo: MP John Simon Local coffee  farmers of Robusta Coffee in PNG will now have the opportunity to export and sell their Robusta Green Beans to Dubai as talks to open trade between the two countries is set to become a reality. PNG’s Minister for Agriculture and Livestock, John Simon said PNG Robusta coffee will be selling at K10 per kilo which is equ...

Photo credit: Loop PNG Bougainville communities will benefit from a new K10 million grant to help 25 Bougainville cocoa cooperatives under the Bougainville Partnership Commodity Support Facility (CSF). The money provided to the Takuina Women's Business Group, according to Noelyn Lasua of the Takuina Women's Business Group, would yield positive outco...

The PNG Forestry Authority has struck a deal with Total Energies to build 10,000 hectares of industrial forest in the Varagadi district of Central Province. Within 20 years, the initiative aims to convert 800,000 hectares of main grasslands in PNG into industrial forest plantations. Goodwill Amos, director of the PNG Forest Research Institute, said ...

Ango Wangatau, head of the National Fisheries Authority, said at the two-day National Tuna Fishing Sector consultation that inclusive government and private partnership investment is needed to strengthen the fisheries industry. In his keynote talk, Mr Wangatau stated that the key to growing and increasing demand in the fishing industry is to be inclusi...

Photo credit: David Shields According to an official, the reopening of the Porgera mine would allow the Enga Women in Agriculture Association (Ewaa) to produce honey and vegetables. Margaret Potane, the president of Ewaa, said the organization's goal was to get women in the province involved in honey production. “Following the signing of the agre...

Improved availability of disease- and pest-resistant crops, as well as nutritious crop types, is helping the ABG Department of Primary Industries boost its food systems. Through the Pacific Regional Integrated Food and Nutrition Security Program to COVID-19 project, this initiative is being carried out in collaboration with the Pacific Community Land R...