Locally led training for food and nutrition security

in Papua New Guinea

As part of the ‘Food Security And Income For Villages In Papua New Guinea (PNG) Through Village Chicken Rearing And Reef Restoration’ project Kyeema has been working with several Master Farmers in Central Province to:

1) improve the health and production of local breed, semi-intensive village chickens and

2) support community involvement, training and awareness campaigns on the benefits of improved village poultry production.

It is hoped that the outcomes of this will be to increase village poultry production and numbers as well as consumption and sale of poultry meat and eggs as an alterative food and nutrition security and livelihoods source to fishing in these coastal communities where marine ecosystems are at risk of further decline.

In the 22-23 the project equipped and supported Master Farmers to deliver improved village chicken training to 29 people from Sebore, Barakau and Gaba Gaba and in more recent months from Kubuna and Yule Island. Participants receive a chicken starter pack and materials to set up a chicken house (and run), and are mentored by the Master Farmers after the training to help them with any problems they are having.

Chicken house Barakau

Chicken house constructed after the Barakau training by one of the participants for their new flock. 

Training topics include

  • The basics of keeping healthy chickens – with a focus on improved production, food security and income generation.
  • Feeding chickens – with a focus on feeding a balanced diet using local resources, instead of commercial feeds which are expensive and often in short supply.
  • Breeding chickens – with a focus in selective breeding, incubating egg management, as well as layer hen and chick care.
  • Preventing disease in chickens – with a focus on disease risk management as your flock grows.

Father-daughter Master Farmer team Koivi Egu and Dulcie Egu hosted two trainings for Sebore and Barakau communities at their Kari Kari Farm in October 2022 and June 2023 respectively. They also hosted the Kyeema Technical Manager and filming team for the production of practical on farm training videos. This served as an important training exercise for them, and the demonstrations captured on film will serve to train more people in Papua New Guinea and the wider Pacific going forward as an accessible and engaging learning tool.

Master Farmer Kopure Airi (known as Kopsi) also conducted his first training with 10 people from the Gaba Gaba community where he has his Master Farm. Kopsi has been going from strength to strength as a Master Farmer with improving his local feeds mixed ration development and growing his breeding flock significantly in the last year. This week he is hosting his second training for his community and is taking on the responsibility of lead trainer.

Kevin, Koivi, Dulce and Merilyn Barakau training

Left to right: Kevin, Koivi, Dulcie Egu and Merilyn Donigi-Saiwa (new PNG Program Coordinator) at Kari Kari Master Farm. 

Gabagaba training

Master Farmer Kopure Airi (far right) with Gaba Gaba community trainees.

Sustainable chicken feed

Master Farmer Kopure Airi makes balanced chicken feed mix (pictured) made from locally grown materials.

Kyeema would like to congratulate Koivi, Dulcie and Kopsi, as well as the new Master Farmers Gregory Ume (Kubuna) and Leo and Agnes Haurama (Yule Island) for their tireless work promoting improved village chicken keeping in Papua New Guinea.

Watch this space for an announcement of the release of our ‘Keeping Health and Productive Village Chickens’ video training series for communities in Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Islands on our Learning Hub.

In 2022-23, Kyeema was supported by the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP). We are grateful to have had funds to support this locally driven activity with Master Farmer Village Poultry Farmers who are a such strong sustainable animal health champions.

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