PNG agricultural training program success

Australia has renewed a multi-million dollar funding for a highly successful training program, which is improving the livelihoods of farmers in Papua New Guinea.

The University of Queensland’s commercial arm, UniQuest Pty Ltd, and the University of Vudal (UoV) in PNG have won a three-year AU$2.8 million extension to their AusAID-funded “Integrated Agricultural Training Program”.

Designed to improve smallholder and subsistence farmer productivity in PNG by helping to increase earnings and reduce household food shortages, the training program has had a significant impact in PNG, according to UniQuest General Manager International Projects, Harleigh Luscombe

“There has been a lot of enthusiasm for this project at a local level and we’ve succeeded in developing and delivering training modules in 11 areas along with training and accrediting over 70 trainers,” said Mr Luscombe.

“In the two years the program has been implemented it has had incredible reach, with more than 4000 rural smallholders receiving training from the crowded Gazelle Peninsula to the remotest parts of inland Pomio.

“The program is recognised as a leading model for effective and cost-efficient training and information service delivery.”

The training modules extend beyond improving agricultural production methods to include livelihood planning and business management training subjects such as book keeping, budgeting, and credit and savings.

At present, eight field-based training modules are run weekly in the East New Britain Province. With the extension of the AusAID funded project these and additional modules will be rolled out across four more PNG Provinces in the Islands Region: Bougainville, Manus, New Ireland and West New Britain.

Mr Luscombe said UniQuest was committed to developing UoV’s capacity and, as part of the Integrated Agricultural Training Program, had provided mentoring and guidance to University and project staff, along with targeted short-term technical assistance through strategic planning, training expertise, and monitoring and evaluation.

As part of the project, UniQuest has also constructed a Community Training Resource Centre at UoV, which is a hub and knowledge bank for rural information and innovation on campus.

The University of Vudal and UniQuest have had a long association built through UoV academics studying postgraduate courses in the UQ’s Faculty of Natural Resources, Agriculture and Veterinary Science (NRAVS) and several UQ staff from NRAVS working with the project as technical experts.

For more information: Julia Renaud, Communication Manager, UniQuest. Telephone: 07.3365 4037 Mobile: 0438 436 179 Email: j.renaud@uniquest.com.au