34 PLEC NEWS AND VIEWS No. 17 FEBRUARY 2001 ACTIVITIES AT THE PLEC SITE AT TUMAM VILLAGE, EAST SEPIK PROVINCE, PAPUA NEW GUINEA, AUGUST 1999 TO OCTOBER 2000 Bryant Allen 1 and John Sowei 2 1 Senior Fellow, Australian National University, Canberra 2 PNG Cluster leader, National Research Institute, Boroko, Papua New Guinea During 1999 and 2000, apart from the day to day activities of research and working with farmers at the Papua New Guinea PLEC site at Tumam and Ngahmbole villages in the East Sepik Province, four notable events took place. First, in August 1999 the sites were visited by the PLEC Demonstration Activities Advisory Team, Miguel Pinedo- Vasquez and Edwin Gyasi. Then in September 1999 the Associate Scientific Coordinator Michael Stocking and Scientific Adviser Geoff Humphries visited. Both groups were accompanied by John Sowei and Bryant Allen. In August 2000, Beretas Minjautehi, a senior expert farmer visited Canberra for three weeks and worked on an historical and genealogical record of group membership and land ownership at Tumam. Finally, in October 2000 a field day was held at the site. . Plate 1 A PLEC vehicle bogged between Maprik and Dreikikir, September 1999 Travel to the site from the international entry point to Papua New Guinea at Port Moresby, involves a two-and-a-half hour flight by Fokker jet aircraft right across the mainland to the northwest coast at Wewak. After over-nighting at Wewak, a 200 km road journey follows, over an often very rough and sometimes difficult road by four-wheel-drive vehicle (Plate 1). In 1999, before the PLEC field base was fully inhabitable, the visitors stayed in a small house owned by the PNG Institute of Medical Research at Dreikikir, a now largely abandoned government outpost. Plate 2 Chris Tokomiyer (Field Site Manager), John Sowei (Project Leader), Albert Yulimboh (expert farmer and plant taxonomist), Miguel Pinedo-Vasquez, Edwin Gyasi and Joel Ngemgutu (expert farmer and plant taxonomist) discussing yam cultivars in a garden, Tumam, August 1999 DAT visit, August 1999 Miguel Pinedo-Vasquez and Edwin Gyasi were taken on an extensive walking tour of the village lands and were able to look at

ACTIVITIES AT THE PLEC SITE AT TUMAM VILLAGE, EAST SEPIK

Download PDF Report

Upload
others
View
1
Download
0

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Page 1: ACTIVITIES AT THE PLEC SITE AT TUMAM VILLAGE, EAST SEPIK

34 PLEC NEWS AND VIEWS No. 17 FEBRUARY 2001

ACTIVITIES AT THE PLEC SITE AT TUMAM VILLAGE, EAST SEPIK PROVINCE,PAPUA NEW GUINEA, AUGUST 1999 TO OCTOBER 2000

Bryant Allen1 and John Sowei21 Senior Fellow, Australian National University, Canberra

2 PNG Cluster leader, National Research Institute, Boroko, Papua New Guinea

During 1999 and 2000, apart from the day today activities of research and working withfarmers at the Papua New Guinea PLEC siteat Tumam and Ngahmbole villages in theEast Sepik Province, four notable eventstook place. First, in August 1999 the siteswere visited by the PLEC DemonstrationActivities Advisory Team, Miguel Pinedo-Vasquez and Edwin Gyasi. Then inSeptember 1999 the Associate ScientificCoordinator Michael Stocking and ScientificAdviser Geoff Humphries visited. Bothgroups were accompanied by John Soweiand Bryant Allen. In August 2000, BeretasMinjautehi, a senior expert farmer visitedCanberra for three weeks and worked on anhistorical and genealogical record of groupmembership and land ownership at Tumam.Finally, in October 2000 a field day was heldat the site.

. Plate 1 A PLEC vehicle bogged between Maprik and

Dreikikir, September 1999

Travel to the site from the internationalentry point to Papua New Guinea at PortMoresby, involves a two-and-a-half hourflight by Fokker jet aircraft right across themainland to the northwest coast at Wewak.After over-nighting at Wewak, a 200 km roadjourney follows, over an often very rough andsometimes difficult road by four-wheel-drivevehicle (Plate 1).

In 1999, before the PLEC field base wasfully inhabitable, the visitors stayed in a smallhouse owned by the PNG Institute ofMedical Research at Dreikikir, a now largelyabandoned government outpost.

Plate 2 Chris Tokomiyer (Field Site Manager), John Sowei(Project Leader), Albert Yulimboh (expert farmer and plant

taxonomist), Miguel Pinedo-Vasquez, Edwin Gyasi and JoelNgemgutu (expert farmer and plant taxonomist) discussing

yam cultivars in a garden, Tumam, August 1999

DAT visit, August 1999

Miguel Pinedo-Vasquez and Edwin Gyasiwere taken on an extensive walking tour ofthe village lands and were able to look at