JOCV Agriculture Sector Training in East New Britain

Seven JICA volunteers working in agriculture-related areas hold training at the OISCA Rabaul Eco Tech Center in East New Britain Province.

As of March 2025, 7 JICA volunteers are engaged in activities related to agricultural disciplines, ranging from instruction at schools to support for people with province / district administration. To understand the characteristics of agriculture in PNG compared with Japan, and to obtain practical perspective to develop their activities, volunteers designed a training with OISCA, which is a Japanese NGO, and visited the training center of OISCA in East New Britain Province.

In the first day of the training, 7 volunteers engaged in rice farming in PNG, whose climate and condition are different from Japan. The training was conducted following the order of rice farming; selection of rice seeds, soaking seeds, seedbed making, sowing, transplanting, rice polishing, and packaging.

In PNG, the demand for rice has been increasing, with diversified food culture, which encourages the proliferation of rice farming in the nation. A data in 2022 says that PNG imported more than 180,000 tons of rice from other countries such as China, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Volunteers learned rice farming in a way which is easy to implement in PNG, where access to agricultural equipment is limited.

The volunteers found the differences between upland rice which is popular in PNG, and paddy rice which is popular in Japan, and discussed the possibility to expand rice farming in PNG, where people’s staple food has been changing.

In the second day of the training, volunteers experienced soap making from coconut oil. Processing agricultural products can be one way to improve income for farmers by adding value to raw materials and diversifying the source of goods they sell. To Introduce processing crops such as soap making can improve the livelihoods of people of PNG, where many people are working in backyard gardens or fields.

The lecturer taught how to make soap using coconut oil mixed with noni root and moringa, which are popular plants in PNG. Mixing plants with coconut oil can enhance the quality of soaps. For example, noni root not only has good aroma but also gives medical benefits to mitigate skin itchiness.

One of the participants said that soap making would be incorporated into his activity because it improves sanitation in the area, and his colleagues are also considering to introduce it to local people.

In the third day of the training, volunteers learned an organic way of backyard gardening. In PNG, most people are engaged in backyard gardening to sustain daily lives, and the volunteers have been seeking ways to help people improve the quality and harvest of crops grown in their backyards. Introducing organic farming methods will encourage people to grow better quality crops and harvest stable amounts of products, which can lead to higher livelihoods.

The participants visited a backyard garden, and the lecturer introduced how to use humus to improve the quality of soil, the way of using charcoal as an alternative for pesticides, the construction of plant bed using bamboo, appropriate use of nursery station, and the transplantation nursery.

The volunteers said the techniques taught in the training were practical, and comparatively easy to introduce in PNG where resources of agricultural equipment are limited. They believe the application of these skills will enhance the harvesting and quality of products.

The volunteers who participated in the training said that the training was practical and meaningful, adding that they will introduce what they learned to the people or students whom volunteers work with.

The content of the training is expected to be introduced in places where volunteers are based.