New research aims to improve major food source and farmers’ incomes in rural PNG

Description

Research by a Charles Sturt University academic and student is helping improve the production of sweet potato, one of the major food crops grown in Papua New Guinea (PNG).

• Charles Sturt University economic assessment research of a sweet potato production project in Papua New Guinea (PNG) contributes to food security and improved livelihoods of small-scale landholding farmers.
• The economic assessment found the research experiment conducted to control pest and disease damage has significantly improved marketable sweet potato yield and storage root yield which doubled farmers’ net income.
• These had significant positive influence on the farmers’ perception towards adoption of the new technology which was the subject of the experiment.