Food technology in Papua New Guinea's development

This paper describes the role which food technology will play in the national development of a predominantly agricultural economy like Papua New Guinea. The long-term future of the country lies in its relatively small population, which is nearly the same as that of New Zealand but only about one fifteenth that of the Philippines or Thailand, and its natural resources of forestry, agriculture and fisheries. At the moment these are barely tapped, the forests are being exploited in a desultory fashion, agriculture is largely at a subsistence level and the fishery potential has been barely touched. Although the country has a rich resource base to feed the food processing industries, there is as yet only a small amount of industry which is concentrated in larger towns. Papua New Guinea is currently importing an increasing volume of food which, in many cases, could be grown and processed in the country. The Government has now rightly recognised the importance and need for systematic development of food processing industries in Papua New Guinea. Such industries will stimulate both food production and consumption, help in the economic utilisation of the horticultural produce of the relatively inaccessible areas from where transportation in fresh form is difficult, promote employment both at the farm and factory levels, help to reduce the food imports and offer a good prospect for exporting its products to many overseas markets. Briefly, the paper reviews the country's food and nutrition policy which has as its aims a reduction in dependence on food imports and improvement in the nutritional status of the population. Steps taken to achieve the aims of food and nutrition policy are also discussed. The paper finally examines the pattern of fresh food production in Papua New Guinea, discusses the current situation concerning imports and emphasises that the aims of food and nutrition policy cannot be achieved unless there is a sufficient number of Papua New Guineans trained in all aspects of food technology. It is proposed that continuous search for new food products based on native raw materials would help fuller utilisation of agricultural produce, reduce food imports, increase domestic demand and raise the nutritional level of the population.