Trip Report: NARI-EU-ARD Project duty visit to Murukanam, Madang 3-7 June 2013
Name
Itinerary
Objectives
People met
Major events
Facts
Elick Guaf and Anton Beko
Monday 3 June: Departed Lae for Madang.
Tuesday 4June: Meeting with DPI staff and visit model rice farmer in Trans-Gogol
Wednesday 5 June: Meeting with Murukanam community on crop support activities to
crop/livestock integration.
Thursday 6 June: Elick attend WV Market Support Start Up meeting, Anton meeting with
Murukanam community on Rice activities.
Friday 7June: Depart Madang for Lae.
1. Establish Crops activities to align with Livestock activities.
2. Establish details on crop activities.
3. Participated in Startup Workshop for Two new World Vision projects.
1. Mrs. Mary Lily – Food Crops officer
2. Mr. Godfred Agabara – RDO- PDPI officer-Rice
3. Ms. Katherine Yagau – RDO of Sumgilbar LLG
4. Mrs. Elesanty Eyabi – RDO of Sumkar LLG
5. Mr. Matthew Lawun – Councilor, Murukanam
6. Mr. Smith Sapaka – World Vision Madang, Area Manager
7. Ms. Theresa Vangaid – World Vision Madang, Project Leader Smallholder Market Access
8. Mr. Sowen Sila – World Vision Madang, Project Leader Maternal, New Born and Child Health
1. Meeting with Provincial Food Crops officer- Mary Lily
a. Meeting with PDAL Food Crop officer and staff, RDO’s Ms. Katherine Yagau, Ms.
Elesanty Eyabi and Mr. Godfred Agabara.
b. Visit to Rice Model farmer Mr. Koman Davol in Madang District, Transgogol, LLG.
2. Meeting with members of Murukanam community
a. Announcement of channel of communication between the community and NARI in
implementing activities (NARI - Ms. K. Yagau – Community and vise versa) and
coordination.
b. On sweet potato and cassava in livestock/crop integrated farming activities and D.
rotundata in crops activities
c. On rice activities
3. Participated in the Startup Workshop for Two new World Vision projects.
1. Sweetpotato, cassava, taro and banana are common in all gardens. Yam (D. esculenta) is
the major staple. D. esculenta cultivation practice is similar to sweetpotato except D.
esculenta is stacked. Sweetpotato is planted in D. esculenta mounds as yam is harvested.
Note that D. rotundata cultivation is dissimilar to D. esculenta. The dissimilarity is holing
to plant and holing to harvest.
2.
There are 140 rice model farmers in Madang. These farmers were selected for
continuously planting rice over a two year period by the Provincial Food Crops officer. 111
farmers are continuing todate. All rice model farmers have been trained via OISCA in
Rabaul. Paddy rice is milled in Madang at cost. This program commenced in 1999/2001.
The last batch of farmers was trained at OISCA in 2007. Model farmer training of other
rice farmers commenced in 2008. A recent training was in 2012.
3.
Two rice model farmers from Murukanam were trained through this program.
a. There were no farmers trained by the model farmers.
b. There are 20 rice farmers in Murukanam
c. There is a rice mill owned by Mark Arek, one of the PDAL trained rice model
farmers.
4.
World Vision Madang is implementing projects covering Economic Development especially
Agriculture in Livelihood improvement projects, Health, Education and Disaster Risk
Preparedness. The two projects launched are, 1. Maternal, Newborn and Child Health and
2. Smallholder Agricultural Produce Market Access. The target communities are in the
Bogia District, Yawar and Almami Local Level Government areas. This project will seek
expertise from NARI on needs bases.
Way forward
Comments/Sug
gestions
File:

Site coordinator to establish an annual community activity schedule and to include
community project evaluation and action in collaboration with the community.
 Sweetpotato and cassava activities to cover farmers engaged in integrated farming
system.
a. A bulking plot for sweet potato will be established at two site using NARI varieties
already in Murukanam.
b. Take planting material from this bulking site to the farmers’ sites.
 To establish Yam (D. rotundata) bulking as that with sweetpotato.
 Pick up the rice model farm concept from where it is. Re-establish good participation with
the rice varieties currently use and other necessary resources available to interested
farms at Murukanam.
 Yam (D. rotundata) work to seriously consider appropriateness as cultivation practice
requires more resource including labor as compared to D. esculenta.
 Building on the rice model farm concept and provide support to management of
participation amongst members of the community with training.
Murukanam Crops activity rollout visit I- 3 to 7 June 13-Elick & Anton Beko