Bulb onion project a success

The National Farming

BULB onion is a success story of the Fresh Produce Development Agency with regard to its pursuit for import replacement, according to FPDA’s 2016 annual report released earlier this month.
The report said K2.8 million was estimated to be earned by farmers from a record yield of 1544 tonnes of onion produced in 2016.
This exceeded FPDA’s 2016 target of 1400 tonnes by target farmers.
The report said in 2016 the FPDA:

  • Conducted 66 farmer trainings;
  • Provided 162 supervisor visits;
  • Established 19 new bulb onion farms;
  • Assisted in a marked quality of onion due to adoption of curing technologies by farmers in major bulb onion-growing areas;
  • Trialled and recommended three new onion varieties for their suitability to PNG agro-ecological conditions which were now being imported and retailed through Brian Bell; and
  • Established seven new partnerships with district authorities in East New Britain, Madang, Eastern Highlands, Jiwaka and Western Highlands.

The report said FPDA supported the local initiative of people in the Gembogl area of Chimbu with technical training on production, pest and disease control, post-harvest, farm management and market-oriented productions and a small grant to kickstart the project in 2005.
“FPDA also provided regular extension support through onion field assistants who are local extension agents in the target farming communities for over 10 years,” it said.
“The national government started supporting onion production in Gembogl in 2008 with K400,000.
“With the support of the project, the national government further supported the onion project extension to cover the whole of Chumbu province, and to expand production to adjoining provinces such as Jiwaka and Eastern Highlands with K2 million.
“The project was later expanded to East New Britain, Central and Western Highlands.
“Since its inception in 2002, onion has directly put an estimated K14 million directly into the pockets of farmers.
“Farmers have been able to transform their lives through onion.
“FPDA has elevated the project to a programme in 2016, meaning that it will continue to fund bulb onion development in PNG, despite the lack of direct budgetary support from the national government.”