The Feasibility of Fresh Ginger Exports from Papua New Guinea to New Zealand

In this paper the technical and financial viability of exporting fresh ginger from Papua New Guinea to New Zealand was assessed in terms of the following criteria: technical capability of meeting market requirements for consistency in quality and volume and dealing with quarantine and other market access issues; market opportunities for growth and sustainability; financial investments required and how they will be financed; and organisational/management capability of coordinating the ginger supply chain from farm to markets overseas. The conclusion was that exports of Papua New Guinea fresh ginger into the New Zealand market would be both technically and financially infeasible. In contrast, the Papua New Guinea domestic market has considerable potential with the demand for ginger, as well as other fresh produce, set to increase substantially in the next few years due to the up-coming PNG LNG Project and other mining activities. A broad-based agricultural development program for fresh produce for the domestic market would better meet the needs of Papua New Guinea farmers than would an export emphasis

Assessing the potential for expanding vegetable production in Central Province, Papua New Guinea

It has been commonly assumed that most of the vegetable supply in Port Moresby, the capital city of Papua New Guinea, comes from the PNG highlands and from overseas, because Port Moresby and most parts of Central Province are too dry and infertile for vegetable production. However, contrary to that assumption, a market survey conducted in 2008 found that in fact nearly 90% of vegetable supplies come from Central Province, and particularly from smallholders in peri urban areas around Port Moresby. Demand for fresh produce in Port Moresby has been growing due to population and economic growth and is expected to grow significantly in coming years and into the foreseeable future as a result of the PNG LNG project and other mining and agricultural development projects around the country. The objective of this paper was therefore to assess the potential for increasing vegetable production in Central Province, by carrying out a preliminary feasibility study based on informant interviews, field observations and a literature review