How extreme weather threatens PNG's food security - and the plan for unpredictable changes of the future.

In the village of Wamayang, in the Yangoru Suassia District of East Sepik Province, vanilla farmer, Rigley Hombi, is tending to his vanilla plantation.

The rows are neatly planted, and together with his family they have just cleared out the weeds. Inspecting each vanilla pod, he concluded that they are not ready for harvest yet. Once he harvests, dries and prepares his crop for the market, he estimates a return of more than a thousand kina at the price of around K450 (USD128) per kilo. He is happy about the prospect.

Mr Hombi has over 1000 vanilla plants at two different sites. The plot next to his home has about 500 plants. Thirty-years ago, he would have had difficulty transporting his produce to the markets, located in Wewak Town, a three-hour drive from Wamayang Village, because of the deteriorating state of the road. For now, the roads are better even though some sections of the highway needs repair.

Vanilla farmer, Rigley Hombi, in his field of beans. Photo: UNDP Papua New Guinea

But all this could change in a blink of an eye. The unpredictable weather patterns can disrupt the supply chain from harvesting to selling their produce. Mr Hombi says having the ability to adapt to these risks is important.

How do farmers adapt to these changes? How do farmers maintain their livelihoods when the impacts of climate change affects cash crops and agricultural products? Climate-adaptive-agriculture addresses food security and prepares farmers with more climate resilient food crops.

UNDP in partnership with the Climate Change and Development Authority (CCDA) are working closely with other key government institutions in the infrastructure, agriculture, health and transport sectors to develop the National Adaptation Plan - a plan of integrating climate change readiness into each sector’s policy.

Recently, UNDP and representatives from CCDA and the Department of Agriculture and Livestock visited farmers in East Sepik and West New Britain provinces to assess how the unpredictable weather patterns have disrupted their farming efforts and how they’ve adapted to these changes.

Mr Hombi says it’s important to integrate a variety of cash crops onto existing farming land. That way they can have various sources of income. Right next to the vanilla plantation is a garden of bok choi Chinese cabbage that Mr Hombi’s wife, and daughter tend.

Bok Choi and other vegetables are just as important as the vanilla plants. Mrs Hombi says bok choi can grow quickly and can be harvested in six to eight weeks. These vegetables also provide an alternate source of income.

In West New Britain, Central Nakanai farmer’s representative, Pastor Mitchell Zaire, says they too feel the impacts of climate change.

“We know that this time of the year, we harvest this type of crop because of the season. But now this as changed. It is difficult to predict when the rain will come and when it will be dry,” said Pastor Zaire.

Planting crops like banana that can be harvested all year round is an option that farmers are taking. Pastor Zaire added that with the growth in Oil Palm plantations throughout the island province, local vegetable farmers are competing with Oil Palm block owners for farming land. He added that they now plant vegetables that can be harvested in about six to eight weeks.

Vegetable farmers are competing with Oil Palm block owners for farming land.

National Department of Agriculture and Livestock Crop Advisor, Mr Goru Babona, says “it is important that we understand how these farmers have adapted to the challenges of climate change.”

The team travelled to Simbu and Morobe provinces to talk to technical experts on the ground in the infrastructure, transport and health sector to solicit their advice on how climate change has impacted sectors in these regions and to further stress the vital importance of the National Adaptation Plan.

Together with the Climate Change Development Authority, UNDP is developing the National Adaptation Plan for Papua New Guinea. The National Adaptation Plan aims to enhance adaptive capacity, strengthen resilience, and reduce vulnerability to climate change.