Cultivating the Power of Agriculture in Eastern Highlands Province. Vol.0

［Goal 9］ Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

［Goal 15］ Life On Land

2025.12.04

Oho Motaveh (Hello — a greeting in the Goroka dialect)
My name is Hara, a JICA volunteer specializing in vegetable cultivation, currently working at the Department of Agriculture and Livestock (DAL) in Goroka, Eastern Highlands Province.

I arrived in August 2024 and now cover four districts in the province, working with local farmer leaders to improve agricultural practices. Goroka, where I live, is a highland area at an altitude of 1,500 meters. While the days are mild, nights can get so cold that a heater is necessary. To understand how agriculture is practiced in this environment, I began my activities by conducting a survey of farmer leaders to learn about the realities of local farming. (Picture 1)

The survey revealed several challenges: in PNG, families grow both food for household consumption and crops for sale in the same fields, making planned cultivation difficult. In addition, high cost of fertilizers and pesticides resulted in limited investment, which often leads to unstable yields.

(Picture 1)

To address these issues, I proposed introducing green manure crops—plants that enrich the soil, supplement nutrients, and help suppress pests and diseases—without relying heavily on external inputs. Currently, we are focusing on species such as Crotalaria(Picture 2) and mustard greens(Picture 3), learning their growth characteristics and seed-saving methods together with farmer leaders and DAL staff.

(Picture2)

(Picture3)

“If we can harvest our own seeds and continue planting year after year,” local agriculture will become stronger and more stable. This is a small step, but an important one toward long-term improvement. Green manure reduces dependence on external resources and helps create a system where farmers can sustain agriculture independently. This initiative has also been reported to the Japanese Society for Agricultural Extension and is scheduled to be published in its journal. I hope this will help Japanese agricultural professionals better understand the realities of farming in PNG and the efforts of local communities.

Agriculture in Eastern Highlands Province still holds great potential. This activity is a collaborative effort with local communities, and we will continue to work closely on the ground, building small but meaningful improvements step by step. Our goal is “better farming next year than this year, and even better in the years to come.” Together with the community, we will keep moving forward toward sustainable agriculture and healthy soil. (Picture 4)

(Picture 4)

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Cultivating the Power of Agriculture in Eastern Highlands Province. Vol.0