Pilot phase rice production in Markham valley of Papua New Guinea shows great promise.

Abstract

Agriculture in the Markham Valley is dominated by moderate intensity of banana cultivation and taro and peanuts in the Upper Markham. Rice was not a crop in the farming systems until 1997, when the FAO/PNG Special Program in Support of Food Security and collaborating partners DAL-Erap Rice and Grain Program, DPI Mutzing Extension Services and R.O.C Taiwan Technical Mission and the Farmers introduced rice to the Villages of Naratumua, Ragiampun, Intoap and Minimian. In introducing the rice to the area, the Team was aware of the constraints of the Rice and Grain Industry as discussed in this volume and took that into consideration in the design and implementation of Pilot Phase Rice Program in the Markham Valley. They also took into account the Initial Farming Systems Analysis in Two Pilot Districts in The Markham Valley, that was done at the start of the Special Program in Support of Food Security in the area in 1996. The result was that, first time rice farmers in the Markham Valley produced rice under rainfed conditions and obtained yields equal to or better than rice yields in dominant rice producing countries. The result indicated that rice production shows promise in the Markham Valley. Farmers from Naratumua, Ragiampun, Intoap and Minimian have embraced the rice technology and are initially producing and milling rice for home consumption, and saving money for not having to buy rice.