Additional information for Chapter 3 - A new chum in Papua, and Yodda, gold, rubber and cattle

 

The Papua New Guinea Department of Agriculture website at www.agriculture.gov.pg states as at 25 September, 2021 “Presently, the livestock sub-sector contributes about 15% of the total domestic food production, and about 12% of the agricultural gross domestic product. This status has remained unchanged for over three decades……

 

Meat consumption in PNG on the other hand, has increased steadily over the last two decades, and is predicted to increase at a conservative rate of 5% per annum. Increased demand for meat is currently met by meat imports costing around K140 million per year……

 

There is great potential for livestock farmers and farming groups to raise their productivity and output to match future demand for meat. For example, PNG has huge areas of grasslands for pastures, as well as providing opportunity for crop and livestock integrated farming. According to our land use data, PNG has over 400,000 hectares of grassland suitable for grazing over 300,000 herd of cattle and producing around 60,000 tonnes of beef per year. By improving pastures and increasing stocking rates, local farmers can significantly increase local beef production from current 2,500 metric tonnes to 8,000 metric tonnes.”

 

An article dated 9 September, 2022 in the PNG newspaper “The National” written by Malum Nalu (who is stated in the article to work for the PNG Office of the Prime Minister), describes the decline of the livestock industry from a thriving industry in the colonial years under the guidance of experienced Australian cattlemen and didiman (Agriculture Officers) to very low levels since Independence.

 

The article states that Prime Minister James Marape has created a Livestock Ministry headed by South Fly MP Sekie Agisa to urgently revive the industry. His aim is to have PNG self sufficient in meat production by 2025.

 

The Livestock Development Corporation (LDC) is moving to take back all State land occupied by settlers which was previously used for cattle and abbatoirs, in order to rebuild the PNG cattle industry. The State Land Reclamation Project was launched in December, 2021.

 

 

The article refers to the 4,500 hectare Launakala Ranch as an example of where a once a thriving cattle ranch deteriorated badly to overgrown scrub and feral cattle. The LDC has been working on its revitalisation since 2019. Launakala was started by Australian Malcolm John Lewis in the 1960’s. He had served in various PNG Government Agriculture departments for 36 years.

 

Over the years logistics issues have also had to be handled. In an article “Primac Gurus” at https://primacgurus.org.au/new-guinea-pastoral-supplies/ by Greg Jacobson who was a former employee at the New Guinea Pastoral Supplies, described how in the late 1970’s he was working for the PNG Development Bank managing the Mamba Estate at Kokoda which comprised 10,000 acres running 2,200 head of cattle as well as 4,000 acres of rubber plantation. It had an on property abattoir, and they were contracted to Burns Philp supermarkets in Port Moresby to supply 10 trade chilled carcasses a week. The manufacturing beef was processed on property and flown out in frozen box beef.  With no road access and the Owen Stanley Ranges and the Kokoda Trail between them and the market, they had to charter a Twin Otter or alternatively a Nomad aircraft every Wednesday flying trade store items into Kokoda and backloading the quartered beef to the market.

You will recall when David Marsh first moved to PNG he worked for Bert Kienzle on the Mamba Estate and the Yodda Goldfields, and in the late 70’s travelled back to PNG to assist the Kienzle family to try and sell the Mamba Estate.