FOOD SECURITY SITUATION REPORT Sitrep No: 03-2020 Reporting Period: 26 May -30 June 2020

Situational overview and summary of the impacts National Pandemic Act 2020: On 2 June, Parliament  Three new cases of COVID 19 were reported agreed and extended the State of Emergency to 16 June recently after a month of no reports of to deliberate on how to manage the global COVID-19 confirmed cases, totaling to 11 reported cases pandemic, including the drafting of a public health bill in country. No deaths at this time. on COVID 19. On June 17, 2020, a gazette was issued for  A fourteen days lock down has been imposed the transition with the National Pandemic Act 2020 with for Murray Barracks in , starting new measures. on 25 June, where the cluster of confirmed cases in Port Moresby are working. The Table below has the brief description of the new  The new National Pandemic Act 2020 together measures. with 8 new measures were passed by parliament in addition to the existing 13 Measure Description Emergency Orders in place. The new Act or the Public Health Emergency Act is to enforce the Measure 1 International and domestic travel measures delivery of the National Pandemic Act. Measure 2 Provincial Coordination Measures  The measures put in place to control the spread of COVID 19 has affected the re-opening of Measure 3 Burial of deceased persons measures provincial main markets, further impacting income of smallholder farmers and peri-urban Measure 4 Customs and duty supply and urban residents. Measure 5 COVID-19 testing measures  Essential and basic Food safety rules at some main markets need to be in place before market Measure 6 COVID-19 surveillance and testing measures authorities allow the recommencement of sales of cooked food, poultry and fresh fish. Measure 7 Business and social measures  COVID 19 measures affect the long term Measure 8 International arrivals COVID-19 measures benefits of small income earners.  Reports show there is a general demand for fresh food supply in Port Moresby for high Though most emergency orders for instance the altitude fresh vegetables. restriction to public movements were lifted, however  Concerned citizens raised the need for the public were advised not to be complacent and to protocols to govern the road side markets as practice social distancing and personal hygiene there seems to be too many of them. standards. The government has allowed a range of small  COVID 19 creates an opportunity for provinces to medium businesses to resume in order to stimulate to take stock on agriculture interventions/ the bruised local economy. innovations to improve livelihoods.  The deadly African swine fever continues to Impact of COVID-19 measures in , East spread in the upper highlands with evidence of ASF related pig deaths detected in Western o In Kokopo, cash flow was affected and a general Highlands and . food shortage was faced by not only those who  Reports by NAQIA suggest that the Fall were on lock down but others because of the armyworm has invaded Markham and Ramu restrictions imposed. There was lack of proper valley in Morobe and provinces. awareness before all services were shut down. They had not prepared for what was forthcoming.

For more information contact: FAO Country Office, [email protected] 1

o The six villages near Kokopo that were on lock down hit hard the most were people without land to be were mainly urban villages and rely heavily on main able to farm as well as those who were employed market for food supply. They were greatly affected. as cleaners, security guards, drivers, shop keepers During that time, food stores and canteens ran out and worked in hotels, resorts, lodges and shops of food and people went onto borrowing from that had to close as a result of the lock down. canteens. There was shortage of rice at shops during o Bus fares have increased after the lock down. The the lock down. Also, the price of fresh vegetables route fare, Kokopo to increased from K3 to increased during the lock down. K5 and the route Kokopo to Sikut and Talvat o A general consensus amongst communities in East increased from K5 to K7 and has not returned to New Britain (ENB) to respond to the communities normal. that were on lock down in the provision of store o Market officers noted the need for sales of bought food and fresh garden vegetables and livestock such as chicken and fish at the main starch. It was also noticed that gardening had market. On a related note, communities are more increased during the lock down period. Like the involved in breeding of village chicken. other provinces, when the lock down restriction was o Food safety is a concern, whilst fresh food are lifted, the prices of produce went lower than allowed to be sold at most main markets, cooked expected. E.g. a round cabbage that usually cost K10 food, poultry and fresh fish will not be allowed was sold at K5 due to an over-supply of fresh until food safety rules are in place. produce. o The Kokopo Market Authority aims at introducing o The closure of kaikai bars during the lock down the concept of bulk selling where the produce is forced people to turn to garden vegetables. Locals bought and resold to the road side market sellers. said that this was good for ENB given the high rate o ENB like other provinces had not received any of diabetes. People went onto the removal of flower funding to boost food security and economic gardens and planting food gardens. Moreover, activities. there was shortage of planting materials especially o The East New Britain Fresh Produce Company are the imported crops such as cabbage and sweet corn planning their first shipment of fresh food into and capsicum. Port Moresby. They will be supplying fresh o In Kokopo, the impact measures imposed on produce of at least 20 foot (40 000 kg) through the COVID-19 was evident from those in the private shipping entity under the ENB Development sector. For instance, a women (widow) was on full Corporation. payroll during the 3 months of the lock down o Taro amongst many other crops has been however, her pay during this period, she was paid considered to be supplied. The company has plans from her leave balance. This was because the to roll out the ‘Community Sweat Labor’ initiative company had ceased operations. Those without to serve as a backup to supply fresh food for the leave balance (in the same company) were put on shipment. payroll but on credit basis where their pay will be o deducted upon resumption of duties. o This person said, the company in the process Impact on livelihoods in , Milne Bay exhausted her leave balance and went onto province deducting from her retirement leave eventually o In Alotau, food security, agriculture and exhausting her leave retirement where she had market supply, fisheries and tourism were accumulated over 26 years of service with the greatly affected. This further impacted on company. Apart from the short term impact which livelihoods and income. The loss of income was the shortage of food, she expressed that this had immense impact on the informal sector. was a negative impact of COVID-19 restrictions on There was shortage of feed for tilapia fish as her livelihoods as she is a widow. well. o Others that lost their jobs and income and were

For more information contact: FAO Country Office, [email protected] 2

o Despite the new normal with the Impact on livelihoods from the changes in International restrictions, there is impact on market schedules Alotau’s tourism industry. For the last three o In Alotau, the vendors who sold fresh food months, there were no cruise ships compared 5 days a week had their sales affected from to pre COVID months January 2020 where this rotation of zones. A spice vendor (who they had 3-4 ships docked in Alotau. Tourism usually sold ginger, capsicum, chilli, garlic provided income to vendors who sold fresh and onion) made approximately K420 per fruits, nuts, artifacts, baskets and necklaces week. Now that she can’t sell 5 days but 2 to the tourists. They have not had any of days a week, her sales profit obviously these ships for the duration of the COVID dropped to K180. A vendor who sold hand- lock-down. made baskets (Milne traditional bags made o The member for Alotau Open distributed out of coconut leaves) would earn roughly a bags of rice and other food items during the K1500 from a monthly sales. That had lock-down to urban residents in Alotau. dropped to K800 per month. For the ad-hoc Additionally, the provincial government sellers at the market, the rotation supported with relief items. During lock arrangement did not really affect them. down, these urban residents were provided o Residents living in Alotau indicated that boats to the residents in Alotau to return they had been affected from the hike in home. vegetable prices from the road side markets (similar observation in other centres). The Impact of COVID in Alotau extra cost on each item at the road side o In Alotau, the Market Authority is managed market ranged from K1.00 to K2.50 and the by Huhu LLG of the Alotau District and not quantity of fresh vegetables or each item necessarily managed by the Town market were less than that sold at the main market. Authority like other provincial centres. o The province has commissioned SME survey o The sales at the Alotau main market is as well as the continuation of provincial arranged into rotation of sales from vendors support to the Bubuleta Resource Center from 3 zones of locations around Milne Bay where seeds and planting material and as per the days listed; Zone 1 for Monday aquaculture trainings are held. and Thursday and Zone 2 for Tuesday and o The provincial government is in discussion Friday were allocated to people from Huhu with National Development Bank to have LLG in Alotau to do marketing, while Zone 3 loans available for the province. for Wednesday and Saturday was allocated o Apart from other development partners, in to people from further areas in Alotau the area of markets, JICA has invested in the District, such as Maramatana and Daga LLG, market infrastructure in Alotau. It was also and from other districts such as Samarai- observed that ICCC has been active to Murua and Kiriwina-Goodenough. This is the address price issues and hikes in the current arrangement that was in place since province. the lock down. This is so the women have 1.5 meters distance apart when selling. At the Impact on small livestock and fish farmers market, cooked food are still not allowed for o In Mt Hagen, the most affected livestock farmers sales. There is a tank and water tap installed were the day old chick farmers. They were for handwashing for use. Social distancing affected because of their reliance on poultry was observed by the sellers but not fully adhered to by the buyers as people need to feeds. Day old chicks’ supply that were usually move around to purchase their goods. supplied by retailers the, Chemica and Farmset were affected during the lockdown.

For more information contact: FAO Country Office, [email protected] 3

enough by buyers/customers. Random buying at the roadside markets slow buying compared to bulk selling. o Tambul Nebilyer District is renowned for its sales in fresh food crop bulking and selling. It is the main supplier for broccoli, cauliflower, English potato, cabbage, carrot and other o Smallholder and semi-intensive pig farmers had to food crops to Mt Hagen, and Port switch to local feed because of the inability to Moresby. o Farmers from Tambul Nebilyer suffered the maintain supply of commercial feeds. The feed consequences of the lock down where most ingredients of smallholder livestock such as pig of their commercial food crops perished as and poultry that are usually comprised from grain, they were unable to sell in bulk. soybean, sorghum, maize were affected. Unlike o Main issue for most farmers in WHP is now other livestock they could use local feeds, transporting fresh produce from Mt Hagen however the development on local feed is yet to to Lae to reach the wharf to benefit from the be fully developed. Freight subsidy scheme. o For fish farmers in Mt Hagen, the lock down had o Farmers in the Western Highlands are now affected them because most of the fish feed are happy that restrictions along the main imported and the PNG private sector (unlike National has been lifted poultry and piggery) has not really bought into the for fresh produce trade movements along idea of producing fish feeds locally and reselling the highway. Farmers had identified that back to farmers. during the lock down, the opportunity to o The cost of fish feed is expensive. National bulk and supply fresh produce out of Hagen Fisheries Authority has subsidized this cost for 50 and Western Highlands increased. per cent before the COVID situation, however, o The lock down disrupted the sales of seeds during the lock down, the imported fish feed of commercial fresh food seeds. This caused supply was affected. the seed prices to increase, e.g. 100 gram of o Tininga Limited was also noted to be providing cauliflower seed packet was usually K150 marketing opportunity for smallholder farmers, was reported to be sold for K400 after the buying trout fish for retail sales in Mt. Hagen. lock down. o This was also because the main suppliers of Impact on fresh produce, market, trade and seeds in Mt Hagen are Brian Bell, Farmset, seed supply: Tininga and Chemica were also affected with o In Mt Hagen, the market is still closed since the seed supply disrupted from Lae, hence, the lock down period as a result of water and ripple effects felt by farmers who were sanitation issues. The market facility is purchasing these seeds. In overall, social undergoing maintenance to resolve the distancing was not observed in Mt Hagen. issue. o In , Southern Highlands, there is so o For this reason, the road side markets serve much of greens and sweet potato, banana the urban residents with fresh produce and green leafy vegetables. Most of the (namely, Council camp, Doorbel, Pangia fresh food produce sold in the area are market office, New town Bakery, Kalakai, bought from Mt Hagen and resold at the Keltica and Kawei). Mendi market and the smaller markets near o Women noted that at this road side markets, and around the town area. the sales of their goods don’t sell quick

For more information contact: FAO Country Office, [email protected] 4

o Most of the communities have good crops such as asparagus, Broccoli, capsicum, education for farmers in Southern carrot, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, Highlands. banana, French bean, kaukau, lettuce, o Many people in SHP live in remote rural mandarin, onion, oranges, pineapple, areas and are impoverished. They lack basic potato, spring onion, taro, tomato and information on health, hygiene and zucchini. sanitation, hence, the need for more o The company is also selling commercial awareness on COVID-19. seeds (Terranova) at a low cost of K5 per o In Southern Highlands, the proportion of packet to farmers to produce and sell in bulk men working in the agriculture sector is the back to the company. The company also highest compared to other provinces in the plans to go engage with farmers on food country. This may have an effect on processing given the new normal regulations households if COVID-19 hits. on food safety. Supply and demand for fresh produce in Port

Moresby Impact of COVID-19 in Mt Hagen, Western o In Port Moresby, the demand for fresh food Highlands Province and market supplies increased in general.2 This was evident when Gordons market had o In Mt Hagen, in terms of providing a solution an increase of fresh produce sales from 7 to farmers with access to markets, the tonnes to 15 tonnes. The Bismarck shipping Tininga Limited, a local company in Mt also had an increase of fresh produce Hagen1 and its stakeholders such as NARI transported from Lae to Port Moresby from had identified a demand for fresh food 720 to 1080 tonnes per shipment. supply in Mt Hagen to Lae and Port Moresby. Supermarkets such as Foodworld had It was noted that the fresh vegetables flown doubled its weekly sales. into Port Moresby the same day was on high Markets demand and in particular the high altitude

crops and fresh food from Mt Hagen during Province Name of market Comments the lock down period. o Also in Mt Hagen, with the establishment of Western Highlands Mt Hagen market Market closed. its Hilens Fres Business plan in January 2020, Many road side markets. that enables access to markets by farmers. Southern Highlands Mendi market Market open No social distancing Four hundred farmers around the Tambul East New Britain Kokopo market Open 3 days a week and Tomba areas through NARI have Vendors selling at 1.5 metres apart benefitted from this arrangement. Farmers’ Milne Bay Alotau market Market open produce are bought by Tininga at a price of Selling arrangement in 3 zones K3.50 per kg. Tininga is able to buy up to Vendors selling at 1.5 metres apart 1000 kg per week of broccoli, 600 kg per Central Province Port Moresby All markets open week cauliflower and any quantity for EMERGING BIOSECURITY ISSUES English potato. Tininga supports bulking and freighting into Port Moresby using the Air African swine fever: Niugini and PNG Air airlines. There is more o WHP has now been included and declared as the ASF opportunity provided to farmers by Tininga. infected province along with Southern Highlands, Hilens Fresh specializes in high altitude food Enga and Hela. Spread of ASF has been by far the

1 Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) certified 2 Data coCollection on the supply/ and demand of fresh produce in Port Moresby, FPDA, 2020.

For more information contact: FAO Country Office, [email protected] 5

most in Enga. NAQIA has activated the National ASF beans, kaukau, orange, pawpaw, tobacco, Emergency and Response Task Force. The Task Force strawberry, etc. Modelling suitability shows that empowers Chief Veterinary Officer and team to PNG is extremely suitable for the pest to thrive. It has make informed decisions to respond to ASF. The been reported that the Fall armyworm has spread to composition of Task Force comprised of members Wau and Ramu areas in Morobe and Madang from the following entities; NAQIA, DAL, Department provinces in addition to its existing presence in of Health, Transport, Police Department, Faith- Western Province. Confirmation of the pest is yet to based, Red Cross, PHAMA Plus, DFAT, MFAT, FAO be established officially by NAQIA in Morobe. and DMT Secretariat. DAL is working with NAQIA in providing awareness to the non-infected provinces Acknowledgements: NARI, FPDA, DAL, NAQIA, DFAT, to support provincial governments with their KIK, Southern Highlands Provincial Government, preparedness plans for ASF. Milne Bay provincial government, East New Britain Fall armyworm: provincial government, East New Britain Development corporation, Eats New Britain Produce o The Fall armyworm is primarily an insect pest to corn, rice and sugarcane. More than 99 % of the PNG Company, Kumul Agriculture Limited, AgBook population grow sugarcane. Corn is grown by Agribusiness Training and Advisory Limited, sellers smallholder farmers and in large scale by Ramu. The and consumers at Mt Hagen, Alotau and Kokopo insect pest that has a wide host range and is capable market and Members of the Papua of feeding on more than 350 plant species including National Food Security Cluster members.

For more information contact: FAO Country Office, [email protected] 6