National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI)

PlantwisePlus to be rolled out

The Acting Director General of the National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI), Warea Orapa, echoed this concern during a stakeholder analysis workshop for a plant health programme called PlantwisePlus.

The workshop was staged in early May under the auspices of the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International, at NARI’s Momase regional research centre in Lae.

It marked the inception of the PlantwisePlus programme, which will be rolled out in collaboration with NARI and the National Agriculture and Quarantine Inspection Authority (NAQIA). 

Low Farming Production Factors Revealed

The study outlined that the lack of requisite knowledge and skills at all levels of production, inadequate transport and market infrastructure and limited financial literacy knowledge negatively affect the wellbeing of rural households in the Sepik Region.

Veteran agriculturalist retires

Sixty-two-year-old Pascal Pandau said this when he retired from work at the National Agricultural Research Institute, where he worked for more than 20 years.

Pandau hails from Lumi, West Sepik Province, and has been working on pests and invasive plants. 

He chose agriculture as a career, and attended the then Popondetta Agriculture College.

He also received training from the Department of Agriculture in Port Moresby, and in Fisheries management from the University of Technology.

Fisheries scientists attend training on effective research

Arthur Roberts and Maima Sine were among the first batch of 19 participants from all four regions in Papua New Guinea to successfully complete phase one of the four-unit training.

The rest represented National Fisheries Authority (NFA), Forestry Research Institute, Wildlife Conservation Society, National Fisheries College, University of Technology and the University of Natural Resources and Environment.

Roberts said the training is timely as integrated skills-based especially in research is needed to assist scientists carry out their research work effectively.

Research outfit to go on show soon

 According to the organizing committee, preparations are well on target with a modest showdown that will see partner organisations in agriculture and rural development exhibit their services and products.

The theme is ‘Agricultural Innovations for SME Development and Rural Empowerment’.

There will be a range of displays and demonstrations on food crops, livestock and resource management issues.