Commercial sector/smallholder partnerships for improving incomes in the oil palm and cocoa industries in Papua New Guinea

Project ID:

ASEM/2006/127

Collaborating Countries:

Papua New Guinea

Project Locations

Commissioned Organisation:

Curtin University of Technology, Australia

Project Leader

Dr George Curry
Phone: 08 9266 3310
Fax: 08 9266 3166
Email: g.curry@curtin.edu.au

Collaborating Institutions:

University of Western Sydney, Australia
PNG Oil Palm Research Association Inc, Papua New Guinea
Cocoa Coconut Institute of Papua New Guinea, Papua New Guinea

Project Budget:

$744,496

Project Duration:

01/01/2008 - 31/12/2011

ACIAR Research Program Manager

Dr Caroline Lemerle

Project Overview

The project aims to raise smallholder productivity and incomes in the oil palm and cocoa sectors through identifying, refining and promoting effective strategies for commercial sector partnerships with smallholders. Examples of commercial sector engagement are the provision of farm management advice/sale of inputs to smallholders, and joint venture companies between the commercial sector and customary landowner groups that entail various tenancy-type arrangements with conditions of land use.
The objectives of the project are to improve extension delivery through greater commercial sector engagement with smallholders, and to develop effective land-use agreements between the commercial sector and customary landowners. A core component of the project will be to implement innovative payment systems for productivity-enhancing inputs that accommodate the socio-cultural context of smallholder production.