Country Status Reports on Underutilized Crops by Birte Komlong, PNG

Promoting Excellence in Agricultural
Research for Development
Regional Expert Consultation on
Underutilized Crops for Food and Nutritional
Security in Asia and the Pacific
Country Report – Papua New Guinea
Birte Komolong, PNG National Agricultural
Research Institute

Basic Country Information
 Largest of the Pacific Islands
(7.3 Million, 463,000Km2)
 Extensive mountain ranges
(>4000m), 1200 – 8000mm
annual rainfall, tropical coastal
to tropical highland climates
with risk of frost)
 >80% of population lives in
rural area, >90% semi-
subsistent; 97% customary
landownership

Traditional Food systems – staple
crops
Species Total
production
estimate
(t/year)
Consumption
Kg/person/year
Sweetpotato (Ipomoea
batatas)
4.6 Million 416
Banana (Musa spp.) 703,000 84
Yam (Disocera spp) 440,000 53
Cassava (Manihot
esculenta)
438,000 52
Taro (Colocasia
esculenta)
377,000 45
Chinese Taro
(Xanthosoma
saggittifolium)
364,000 44
Sago (Metroxylon sagu,
M. salomonense)
134,000 16

Traditional Food system - vegetables
Name Scientific name % population
growing
Corn Zea mays 94
Pumpkin tips Curcurbita
moschata
72
Aibika Abelmoshus
manihot
60
Amaranthus A. tricolor, A.
dubius, A. blitum
60
Highland pitpit Setaria palmifolia 54
Lowland pitpit Saccharum edule 52
Rungia Rungia closii 42
Winged bean Psophocarpus
tetrogonolobus
40
Tulip Gnetum gnemon 37
Snake bean Vigna unguiculata
cv. Group
Sesquipedalis
37
Kumu musong
leaves
Ficus copiosa 33
Water dropwort Oenanthe
janvanica
32

Underutilized food crops in PNG
 Locally grown food crops provide
80% of energy and 57% protein
 >400 plant species grown or
harvested (many only very locally;
when other food is not available)
 Documented and described (Bruce
French)
https://foodplantsinternational.com

Underutilized crops in PNG
 Overlooked
 Undervalued
 Unrecognized
 Poorly known
 not fully utilised to the extent
of commercialisation, export
potential, downstream
processing or added value
and alternative uses

Name Scientific name Use
Not fully utilized
Taro Colocasia esculenta staple
Sago Metroxylon sagu, M.
salomonense
staple
Aibika Abelmoshus manihot vegetable
Overlooked
Winged bean Psophocarpus tetrogonolobus vegetable
breadfruit Artocarpus altilis Staple and nut crop
Marita Pandanus conoideus fruit
Undervalued
Banana Musa – AA group staple
Ton Pometia pinnata fruit
Galip nut Canarium indicum nut
Unrecognized (forgotten?)
Dicliptera Dicliptera papuana vegetable
Yam D. pentaphylla, D. bulbifera staple
Banana Musa, Fe’I group staple
Poorly known (or very localized)
Kumu musong Ficus copiosa vegetable
Blackberried nightshade
(Karakap)
Solanum nigris vegetable

Better use of underutilized crops
 PNG worst HDI, poor nutritional
indicators (stunting, wasting, protein
and iron deficiency, some Vit A
deficiency)
 Strong Case for improving nutritional
security
 PNG resource rich (oil, gas, gold,
copper, nickel, land, water, sunshine)
but cash poor (>40% on <1$/day)
 Strong case of income generation –
stronger pull factor

Case study 1 – Taro (Colocasia esculenta
var. esculenta)
Example of “not fully utilised”
 Crop with high cultural and
economic value
 Decline in production (P&D, soil
fertility, low productivity, yield 6-
8t/ha)
 Replaced with Chinese Taro
(Xanthosoma sagittifolium)
 But domestic demand, high prices
in local markets

Case study 1 – Taro (Colocasia esculenta
var. esculenta)
 Achievements summarized in
APAARI Success Story
Opportunities:
 Highly digestible starch –
carbohydrate alternative (diabetes,
infant food, celiac disease)
 Good source of minerals (Ca, K, Ph,
Mg)
 Varieties with high Flavenoid and
Antioxidants
 Source of bioactive proteins

Case study 2 – Traditional leafy vegetables
Example of “under-valued”
 despite major role in traditional food
systems, but little known on production area,
productivity, yield, improved practices etc.
 Aibika (Abelmoshus manihot) best
researched
 Important for food and nutrition but also
many species have medicinal value

Issue:
 Decline in consumption
observed!
 Lack of vegetables in the
diet (not important?)!
Ignorance or lack of
awareness?

 Achievements:
http://traditionalvegetables.cdu.edu.au
NARI, WorldVeg, CDU, PNG WiADF

Awareness and capacity
building in schools, womens
groups, hospitals etc.
Posters, videos, fact sheets,
children games, brochures,
grower’s guides, etc.

Case study 3 – Galip nut (Canarium indicum)
Example of “under-valued and little
known”
 Galip nut is an indigenous tree of
lowland forests in Is. of New Guinea,
Solomon Is., Vanuatu) – edible nuts,
valuable oil and timber
 Found in 6 Million ha in PNG
 Related to Pili nut (Canarium
ovatum)
 Feasibility study showed high
potential for further domestication
and commercialization

Case study 3 – Galip nut (Canarium indicum)
 Achievements (over past 13
years:
 Genetic resource exploration and
collection of 224 OP families from
8 provinces
 Selection of genotypes with
superior nut characteristics
 Pilot factory at NARI
 Processes, methods and
equipments for postharvest,
cracking, product development
and commercial sales

Future Focus areas
Breadfruit (Artocarpus spp.) -
Example “overlooked”
 Cultivated for the past 3000 years
 Isl of New Guinea is in the centre
of diversity
 Fruit is high in carbohydrates,
fibre, vitamins, minerals
 Edible nuts, low in fat, high in
protein, vitamins, minerals
 Grows on poor coral soils

Future focus areas - Breadfruit
 Opportunities:
 contribution to alleviate hunger in tropical areas
and stem the tide of non-communicable diseases
afflicting many Pacific Islands
 Breadfruit orchards as CC adaptation strategy (rel
drought tolerance)
 PNG well behind other PICs and Caribbean
in using the available diversity for increasing
production, downstream processing and
alternative uses

Constraints in implementation of Policies and
Strategies
 PNG is signatory to CBD, ITPGRFA; NARI has a PGR
policy and consultations done for development of a
Strategic Plan of Action for improved use of underutilized
species
 General under-investment in AR4D by GoPNG and
donors (short-term outlook on impacts) even where there
is proven feasibility and potential
 E.g total investment so far in Galip US$ 3mill and
donor fatigue setting in – Why are you not exporting
yet like the coffee and cocoa sectors?!
 Affecting capacity development in all areas required
for facilitation of development of new value chains

Conclusions
 PNG is a biodiversity ‘hotspot’; many potential UCS
 Who are the customers, who will buy the products, who
is supposed to eat the crops, where are the markets?
 We need:
 harmonization of policies and strategies at international, regional
and national levels to prioritize investment in the development of
underutilized crops
 long-term commitment by international donors and national
governments to allocate sufficient resources to unlock the
potential of those crops

Country Status Reports on Underutilized Crops by Birte Komlong, PNG

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Country Status Reports on Underutilized Crops by Birte Komlong, PNG