EU-STREIT PNG in collaboration with New Guinea Binatang Research Centre, trained and empowered 1,233 rural vanilla farmers, youths and women in Sepik region of Papua New Guinea in mainstreaming Climate-Smart Agriculture practices.
This is to foster farming households' resilience to climate change impacts.
This collaboration with the New Guinea Binatang Research Centre, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) under the EU-STREIT PNG Programme has rolled out a series of intensive capacity development workshops. The target is set on vanilla farmers in the Sepik Region of PNG to tackle increasing climate-change impacts on agriculture and food security.
These trainings were held in 11 locations across nine districts of East and West Sepik provinces, including Wewak, Angoram, Yangoru-Saussia, Ambunti-Dreikikir, Maprik, Wosera-Gawi, Vanimo-Green, Aitape-Lumi, and Nuku. Under the theme, “Farmers’ Training on Climate Smart Agriculture in Vanilla Production”.
The workshops 1233 people participate, with 20 percent of women and 30 percent of youth partaking.
In strengthening capacity building and ensuring sustainability of knowledge and skills among the farmers at their own level, the participants were trained as Trainers-of-Trainers (ToTs) and empowered to impart what they learnt on best agriculture practices to fellow farmers in their respective communities.
The workshops’ content covers all aspects of Climate-Smart Agriculture practices, from land preparation to marketing and how to use vanilla's generated income to sustain their livelihood.
“After attending the training, the farmers understand and learn what to do in the field and why these practices like pollination techniques, block management are important to continue or improve on to produce quality vanilla beans for more income and to sustain their lives and livelihoods,” explained Lisa Paschalis one of three experts from Binatang Research Centre who facilitated the trainings.
For the participants, the training was an eye-opener to climate change and the risks it poses on agriculture production and their crops like vanilla.
“I am learning new things in this training like making sure that my vanilla block is always clean to avoid pests and diseases,” said female farmer and mother Josephine Aikaiwa of Nienguanje Village in Wewak Rural LLG who attended the two-day session held in Wewak.
Alphonse Kare, a farmer and Ward Member of Dagua LLG said, “This training is very helpful to us, and I urge all participating farmers to share best practices with others in their households and communities,” added Joel Soromari, a farmer and Ward Member of Wrindogung Village in Wewak Rural LLG.
“Partnership with PNG national authorities and scientific institution to support improving agricultural extension services and ensuring the sustainability of agri-food value chain development interventions, is a top priority for the EU-STREIT PNG Programme,” said Dr Rabi Rasaily, the FAO Senior Agriculture Officer and the Programme Coordinator .
He added, “With triggering cascade effect, these built capacities at the coach farmer level, help transforming practices adopted by thousands of farmers and increase rural communities’ resilience to climate-change impacts.”