Rice which is the stable food of the urban population of Papua New Guinea is currently grown, harvested and either sold or kept for domestic consumption in some of the rural areas of the country. A trip to Boana Area, located in the Hinterlands of Nawaeb District of Morobe Province on July 11th 2009 proved beyond doubt that a simple farmer who would normally clear the bush to grow kaukau, yam, or corn on a sloppy hill can now plant rice.

Given the evidence shown in the pictures below, the question that needs immediate answers from those in the government authorities is: What is being done to promote rice growing as an alternative cash crop and source of income for the majority of the rural population?

There appears to be lack of sustainability in what the government is doing. The rice was introduced by NARI (National Agriculture Research Institute) as the agriculture research authority on the land but no continued support from the government in setting up a distribution network from milling of rice to marketing for the PNG domestic market as well as exports overseas. As shown in the photos below, rice does not require hectares of land, no irrigation; land does not have to be flat and can be grown in small plots of arable land by small holders at the family level. Rice is just like coffee, vanilla or other cash crops and if given the same attention as other cash crops, can play an important role in improving the standard and quality of life in the rural areas.

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