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FAO/DALDroughtResponseInformationCollectionFieldVisit

Report

Day1:Wednesday6thApril.1. WHPPDALWHPProvincialDivisionofAgricultureandLivestock(PDAL)underthemanagementofMrMartinPittindicatedmajorcapacitygapfacedbytheprovinceintheirdailyprogramsandgiventhedisasters,MrPittandhistwoseniorofficersexpresseddisparityandrequestcapacitybuildingassistancebothinagricultureandprovincialdisasteroffice.Theprovincialagricultureofficereceivednorequestforseedsandplantingmaterialsfromthepeopleexceptforonefarmerwhorequestedforfoodgardensdamageassessment.TheassessmentwasdoneandareportproducedandsubmittedtotheProvincialDisasterOfficeforfurtheraction.Afollowupquestionwasraisedtothemregardingtheagriculturalrecoveryplaninrelationtoquestionnairesondrought/frostrecoveryandresponseaswellastheseedsandplantingmaterialdemand,availability,accessandsupplysenttothemearlier.Theresponsegivenwasthattheyhavenoplansandalsonowwiththerainssetin,peoplehaveresettledbackintotheirdailyroutinelivelihoodactivitiesandtheprovincialagricultureofficerssawnourgentneedtotakeanyfurtheraction.AccordingtothePDALProgramManagerandhisofficers,disasterresponsewasoncetheirmainactivitybutnowwiththeestablishmentofProvincialDisasterOffice,disasterrelatedactivitiesarefacilitatedandcoordinatedbyPDOandprovincialagricultureofficeinvolvementisveryminimal.2. FreshProduceDevelopmentAgency(FPDA)–Mt.HagenDiscussionwithFPDAIrishPotatoseedofficer,MrJamesKirperevealedasadscenariowiththeIrishPotatoSeedProductionintheHighlands.DroughtandFrosthadanadverseeffectontheseedgrowersthusdrasticallyreducingthepotatoseedvolumeavailabilitywhichthenaffectedthewholeproductionsystemfromseedproductiontoconsumableIrishpotatogrowers.

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FPDAhasaanestablishedIrishPotatoseedproductionsystemwherebytheagency(FPDA)supplytheGenerationzero(G₀)fromtheirTambulAgriculturestationandMuliAgstationinYalibudistrictinSouthernHighlandsProvince.TheyhavetrainedandcertifiedseedgrowerfarmerswhocomeandbuytheG₀sandplanttogetG₁andG₂beforetheysupplytheseedstoopenmarketforanyconsumergrowers.Unfortunatelymostoftheircertifiedseedgrowershavelosttheircropseitherduringthedroughtorfrostandmanyofthemareseekingassistancetogetthemkickstarttheirseedfarms.FPDAisresourceconstrainedtoassistandthereforetheseedvolumehasdecreasedenormously.ThoughFPDAhasstrictstandardsandcompliancemonitoringonqualitycontrolonseedsupply,foodsecurityinworstdroughtandfrostaffectedareasisamajorconcernandthereforeasagovernmentagencyresponsibleforthewelfareofthepeople,ithastakenstepstoworkaroundthestrictqualitystandardsguidelinesinsigningaMOUwiththeReformedLutheranChurch(RLC)atKandep,Enga(cat4&5)tosupplyG₁andG₂tonewfarmersunderthechurchprogramtomultiplyseedsfordistribution.FPDAwillprovidealltechnicaladvisoryandtrainingongoodseedproductionandfinallytheywillscreentheseedsunderthestandardsandcomplianceforqualityseedcertification.LutheranchurchhavepaidK20000forsupplyof10040kgbagsofG₁andG₂fromaLiagamFPDAcertifiedseedgrowerforpotatoseedproductionanddistributioninKandep.Sofar,FPDAseedgrowerhavesuppliedabout20-30bagsandalsohaveconductedfirsttrainingforthenewfarmersidentifiedunderRLCtocomplywiththestandardsprocesstoqualifyascertifiedIrishPotatoseedgrowers.Outofthetwoagriculturestations,FPDAusesforfoundationalseedproductionofIrishpotato,Tambulstationhasbeenabandonedandlefttofallowduetoinfestationofpotatobacterialwilt.Thisbacterialdiseaseisasoilborndiseasewhichcannotbecontrolledbychemicals.ThereforethegroundatTambuislefttofallowfor4-5yearstobreakthecycleofthebacteriabeforereturningtomultiplyagain.ThenewsiteisMuliinSHP.

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Thursday7thApril20163. JiwakaPDALTheDivisionofAgriculture&livestockinthisnewprovinceisproactiveintheirresponsetodrought/floodsasclearlyoutlinedbytheProvincialAgricultureManager,MrUmarNukuandhisofficer,MrFabianSiune.Inpreparationfortherains,theprovincialadministrationpurchasedafarmtractortoassistfarmersinploughingandsoilpreparationsfortheircropproduction.TheadministrationthroughPDALhavethefollowingplansandprogramactivitiesinlineasdroughtrecoveryandresponse;1. Usetheprovincialgovernmenttractortoploughandprepare1haoflandforfarmersandwhenplanting,anunderstandingisreachedforfarmertouseathirdof1hapreparedlandtoplantdroughtfoodcropssuchascassava,AfricanYams,sweetandcookingbananasandrice.Sofarthreefarmersfieldhavebeenploughedandtheyhaveanother7moretoploughupyet,totalof10farmers.2. TheyarecurrentlyworkingonaDroughtManagementPlanwiththehelpofIOM.It’soneofthreeprovincesthatIOMareassisting;theothertwoprovincesareSimbuandEnga.3. Theagriculturedivisionhassetaside7haofagriculturelandforseedmultiplicationandalsotheyareworkinginpartnershipwithFatimaSecondarySchoolwhohavealsoallocatedmorethan10hatoPDALfortheirseedproduction.Forfoodsecurityanddrought,suchcropsaspathogentestedsweetpotato(Whagibestavariety),cassava,rice,OPcorn,pumpkin,beansetc.willbeplantedforfoodaswellasconsumption.4. TheyalsohaveplansforFoodprocessingandstorageforfuturetimesofdisasterandadverseconditions.4.SimbuPDALPDALstuffwerenotavailableatthetimebutIwasabletogetintouchwithacommunitybasedvolunteerfromGumine/SouthSimbu(cat4&5),MrMathiasKinwhoreportedthatthepeoplewerenaturallyresilientandthereforeassoonastherainssetin,theylookedtotheirwantoksforseedsandplanting

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materialsandorevenboughtplantingmaterialssuchassweetpotatovinesinbundles,cassavacuttings,cornandotherseedsinlocalmarkets.Theydidnotwaitforgovernmentforsupplyofseedsandplantingmaterials.Friday8thApril20165. EHPPDALPDALfoodsecurityofficer,MrNaismenreportedthattheprovincestartedsupplyingmaize,rice,wheatandsoyabeanseedssince2009upuntil2011inresponsetotheNARIpredicted2012prolongdrought.Astheirdroughtresponseaction,theyaredistributingrice,corn,wheat,cassavaandAfricanyamseeds/plantingmaterialstofarmers.Theyhaveplanstodevelopa3haintoseedsandplantingmaterialmultiplicationsiteforallindigenousfoodcropsastheyarehardierandresistanttoadverseclimaticconditions.PDALandotherstakeholdersincludingCarePNGandothergovernmentandNGOgroupsworktogether,havingregularmeetingsanddiscussingreportsandactionsinresponsetodroughtrecovery.6. DAL–HighlandsRegionalOfficeThehighlandsregionalofficeofDALbuyriceseedsfromNARI,AiyurainEasternHighlandsanddistributetheseedstofarmersaroundtheregion.WithFAOTCPfundingassistance,DALagricultureresourcestationatMenifoisselectedtomultiplyseedsandplantingmaterialsfordistributioninthehighlandsregion.Thecropsidentifiedformultiplicationarepathogentestedsweetpotato,cassava(highaltitude),rice,openpollinatedmaizeandotherlocalseedsasexperimentaltrials.Director,Mr.JohnJaveandhisteamofofficershavepreparedaworkplanandbudgetcostingstothateffectandsubmittedforconsiderationandfunding.

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Monday,11thApril2016

7. DALErapResourceCentre

Erapisalreadymultiplyingseedsandplantingmaterialsforfarmers’accessanddistributionunderthecoordinationandmanagementofMrRalphYamb(OfficerinCharge)andGeneraldutyManager,MrLeviGagiwithsupportfromLivestockmanager,MrSolopiSensikandRiceTechnician,RichardNangan.

Eraphascurrentlyplanted1haofopenpollinatedmaizethatcanbemadeavailableasseedsupplytoanyonewhorequiresthembyJune2016.Anestimateof100-200kgofseedscanbeharvestedfromthatwithoutthecob,thatisafterhusking.

DryOPmaizeseedscurrentlyavailablearefordistributionis20kgandalsodryopmaizestillonstalkswhichwillbeharvestedbyMaywillmakeuptoanother30kgfordistribution.

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Also,atrialbyDAL/SPbreweryforcassavatuberforSPbreweryprogramhasmaturecassavacropcovering20haisnowreadyforharvestandthereforecuttingswillbemadeavailableassoonastubersareharvested.

Thereisalso.5haofpathogentestedsweetpotatoalreadyplantedandbyJune,vinecuttingswillbeavailablefordistribution.

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Alsoavailablearedifferentcookingbananaswhichcanbemadeavailableatrequest.

Sincefoodsecurityisnotallagricultureandfoodcrops,Erapcanalsosupplyfishfingerlingsandmuscoveyducksforbreedingtocommunitiesandfamilieswhorequirethem.Currentlythereare50ducklingsavailableandbyendofAprilwillbe5000fishfingerlingsavailableforsupply.

FAO/DALalsowilluseEraptoincreasetheactivitiesonseedmultiplication,storageanddistributiontoincreasevolumeofseedsandplantingmaterialsavailabletopeople.PlanshavebeensubmittedforfundingforthemultiplicationanddistributionofseedsunderFAOTCP.

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8. MorobePDAL

VisittoMorobePDALhadsimilarstorytotheWHPDAL.ThoughtheyhavegreatagriculturalorganizationsandinstitutionslikeNARI,TrukaiLtd,DALErap,RamuAgri-Industriesetc.,howeverthestatementreceivedfromtheprogrammanager,Mr.BewenLamiwasthatmostofthebadlyaffectedareaswereveryremoteandaccessisonlybyfootandmaybechopperifneedbe.TheseareasincludedremotepartsofGaraina,KabwumandMenyama.

HisdistrictofficerinGarainadidsomedroughtimpactassessmentreportonlybutduetoruggedterrainandaccessibilydifficulty,noassistancewasgivenorevenplannedforthepeople.Thepeople’sresiliencetoadaptinsuchtimeshasagainhelpedregaintheirlivesbacktonormalcy.

TheAgriculturedivisionwouldreallylikesupportcapacitybuildingindisastermanagementandresponseandalsowouldliketobeincludedinaNationalAgriculturesectorDisaster/DroughtResponse,RecoveryandPreparednessPlan.

Conclusion/Recommendation

Fromthevisitstofiveprovincialagricultureoffices,two(Jiwaka&EHP)outofthefivearerespondingandtakinginitiativestoengageindroughtrecoveryandpreparednessactivitieswhileothertwoseemlostwithoutanydirectionandplansinpreparationforfuturedisastersbeitdrought,frost,floodorlandslips.

IthereforerecommendthatwithFAOassistancethroughtheTCP,DALandFPDAwillimmediatelyworkontheseedandplantingmaterialmultiplication

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programtoincreasevolumeofseedsavailabilitytosupplyIrishseedpotato(FPDA),andOPmaizeseed,otherseedsifneedbe,PTsweetpotato,cassava,riceandotherlocalindigenousdroughtresistantseeds(DAL).

Whilethisprogramisbeingimplemented,thecorememberscancontinuetoworkontheAgricultureSectorDrought/DisasterResponseandPreparednessPlan.

AlsothereisagreatneedforNational,provincialanddistrictagriculturecapacitybuildingoneffectsonclimatechangeonourfarmingsystem.Ifwearetofaceirregularweatherpattern,unlikesetmonthlywetanddrythatweareusedto,thenweintheagricultureproductionchainneedsamindsetchange,justlikeintroducingnewtechnologytoourfarmers,weneedtoalsoprepareourselvestointroducethenew“ClimateChange”smart/sensitiveagriculturefarmingpracticestoourpeopletoo.

Regina Nukundj Food Security Branch Department of Agriculture and Livestock Monia Tower, Port Moresby