Nari and Taiwan agronomists are engaging local farmers on how to control different pests and improve seed quality in two rice certified farming areas of Morobe Province - Ucapu, Backroad in ward 12 of Ahi local level government and Jiampir in Markham.

 

Nari rice development agronomist Anton Beko said Taiwan and Nari's aim was to work together to produce quality rice seeds.

 

"We have techniques and management practice that are being used to purify variety of rice to get quality seeds," Beko said.

 

"The management practices are timing of transplanting, fertiliser application and use of insecticide sprays to control pests to get maximum output."

 

He said the yield had been good so far with the last cropping season producing 6.5 to seven tonnes per hectare.

 

Rice specialist from Taiwan Technical Mission Fabio Liu however encouraged the farmers not to use too much toxic chemicals in the field. "Organic pesticides are used in the right time and are not used to kill pests but to control their population."