Communicated by Janet Pandi in the 2007 World Poultry Science Conference, Bankok, Thailand.

SMALL SCALE POULTRY FARMING IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA AND THE THREAT

POSED BY HPAI

Janet Pandi1 and Martin Lobao1

Summary

Small-scale poultry farming in Papua New Guinea (PNG) is one major avenue of income for

rural farming families as well as providing a source of protein to households where protein

deficiency in diets is a major food security and health issue. The threat posed by avian

influenza is enormous, as its impact on farmers would be devastating both to their wellbeing

and their livelihoods. The most likely route of entry would be through the PNG/Indonesia

boarder, from where it could eventually spread into Australia. Migratory birds are likely to

pose the biggest threat to the spread of the disease. Current measures taken by Australia and

relevant authorities in Papua New Guinea to combat the disease include: providing

surveillance and organizing awareness campaigns to educate local communities living along

the PNG/Indonesia border. Apart from the country’s poultry genetic resources, the disease

also threatens PNG’s rich indigenous bird life. Whilst the country’s rough and sparsely settled

terrain poses difficulties with surveillance, communication and response time in the event of

an outbreak of disease, the geographical separation of poultry and human populations may

well limit the spread of the disease in such event.

I. INTRODUCTION

Papua New Guinea (PNG) lies north of Australia between longitudes 140o and 160o east and

1o and 12o south with a total land area of 474,000 km2. The country is made of the islands of

New Guinea and New Britain as well as a collection of other islands of varying sizes, with an

1
National Agriculture Research Institute, High Altitude Highlands Programme, P O. Box 120, Mt. Hagen,
Western Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea, Tel: (675) 542 3443, Fax: (675) 542 227, Email:
janet.pandi@nari.org.pg and martin.lobao@nari.org.pg

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 Communicated by Janet Pandi in the 2007 World Poultry Science Conference, Bankok, Thailand.

estimated human population of about 5.3 million and a rural population of about 4.5 million

in about 750, 000 farming families. The climate in coastal areas is generally hot and humid,

with temperatures ranging from 25 to 35oC. Annual rainfall varies from 1000 mm in certain

parts in the south to over 4000 mm in some wetter areas of the country. About 80% of the

country receives over 2000 mm of rain annually. Rainfall is the characteristic that

differentiates the seasons. There are distinct wet and dry seasons, the timing and duration of

which varies from one area to another. The general vegetation of the country varies with

elevation and rainfall and 70-75% of the country’s surface area is covered with tropical virgin

forest. The country is divided into four agro-ecological zones: namely wet lowlands, dry

lowlands, highlands, and high-altitude highlands, based on rainfall and altitude.

Agriculture is the mainstay of the PNG economy as 87% of the total 5.3 million people

depends on it. Agriculture contributes 40% to the total GDP of which 34% comes from non-

export agriculture, such as root and tuber crops, traditional and introduced vegetables, fruits

and nuts, export tree crops , and smallholder livestock such as pigs, poultry, sheep and goats,

95% of these farms are smallholder farmers. The livestock commercial sector is dominated by

broiler chicken production because of a high demand for chicken meat throughout PNG

(Kohun et al., 2006). Commercial companies produce an estimated 404, 000 day-old broilers

per week, with 150 000 day-old birds per week from Niugini Table Birds being sold to and

grown by smallholder farmers for the live bird market. The total carcass weight per annum

from the live bird market is estimated at 7000 tons.

The commercial Poultry Industry in PNG is virtually self-sufficient mainly due to the

government’s policy on import bans on poultry products in the 1980s, which was replaced by

high tariffs on imports since 1992. A modern commercial poultry industry based on hybrid

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 Communicated by Janet Pandi in the 2007 World Poultry Science Conference, Bankok, Thailand.

broilers and processed feeds has grown up since the early 1980s. It is largely based on

smallholder contract growers selling chickens back to the parent companies (Niugini Table

Birds and Highland Holdings) for processing and marketing. The industry supplies both fresh

and frozen chickens throughout the country. Broiler meat production from this industry is

estimated to be about 20,000 tonnes per year. The egg industry is also growing, although

somewhat less rapidly. In 1993 there were five commercial companies producing 38.5

million eggs annually (ANZDEC 1994). The annual production in 1993 from small-scale

subsistence flocks was estimated by ANZDEC (1994) to be only 4 million eggs. At an

average price of PNG Kina 0.30 per egg, the value of commercial and subsistence egg

production was PNG Kina 11.55 and 1.2 million respectively. At present it is estimated that

there are about 200,000 laying hens in commercial outlets producing about 54 million eggs

per year, (ANZDEC 1994).

In PNG, native chickens were the only domesticated poultry species up until the end of the

19th century. The distribution was largely to the north along coastal areas. There were

essentially no efforts made to develop a poultry industry during the colonial era until 1964,

when attempts to improve village poultry production were initiated. Since then there have

been an ongoing effort to improve poultry meat and egg production in rural areas through the

distribution of birds of introduced breeds, mainly Australorps and Muscovy ducks. Australorp

chickens were chosen to replace village chickens to improve both meat and egg production,

however Australorps lack the ability to go broody as compared to native chickens and

distribution is hindered by incubation facilities.

Small-scale poultry farming families look after poultry in nearly all rural communities as well

as in the peri-urban areas of major towns and cities. Quartermain (2002) estimated that there

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 Communicated by Janet Pandi in the 2007 World Poultry Science Conference, Bankok, Thailand.

were about 55,000 families with small flocks of broiler chickens. It is further estimated that

there are about 200,000 households looking after 1.5 million semi-scavenging birds of various

breeds (Quartermain 2000).

II. TYPES OF POULTRY

There are three types of poultry species that are currently being looked after by small-scale

farming families in PNG. Commercial broiler chickens, supplied by commercial companies

are raised by families living in urban centres, peri-urban areas and in some rural villages that

have easy access to day-olds and commercial feeds. Native village chickens are looked after

by most rural faming families in rural villages and these chickens are either semi or fully

scavenging. Dual-purpose Australorp or Rhode Island Red breeds were recommended for

village poultry production by the Department of Agriculture and Livestock in the late sixties

and early seventies. Muscovy ducks were also introduced during that time.

a) Broiler chicken production

As noted, the broiler industry (especially the frozen chicken meat market) in PNG is well

established. Niugini Table Birds, the largest company involved in the frozen chicken meat

market, has contract farmers who produce chickens in rural villages. This smallholder scheme

involves the company selling day-old chicks and feed to the growers with a promise to buy

back fully-grown chickens for processing. The net profit received by the contracted farmers is

the price paid by the company less the cost of feed, chickens and services (e.g., the provision

of advice from extension officers to teach growers about poultry husbandry and

management).

In addition to the fresh and frozen commercial markets, there are smallholder producers who

sell live broiler chickens in local markets. There are about 55,000 small-scale poultry farmers

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 Communicated by Janet Pandi in the 2007 World Poultry Science Conference, Bankok, Thailand.

for whom this enterprise is their sole or major source of income (Quartermain 2001). These

farmers operate independently from the commercial frozen carcass industry, and are currently

producing about 6.7 million birds per year with a gross value of AUD$67M. These small-

scale farming families are scattered throughout the country, with most living in the peri-urban

(fringe) areas of major cities and towns, in squatter settlements, along the main highways, and

in rural villages. These farmers purchase broiler day-old chicks in batches of 52 birds, and

raise them for 6-8 weeks on commercial feeds. For most, this is their major form of income,

which contributes to payment of school fees, provision of food for the family, and meeting

social obligations such as bride price and compensation payments. The major constraint

facing smallholder broiler farmers is the high cost of commercial broiler feeds as well as

access to the feed and day old chickens

b) Australorp and Village chickens

Village chickens (Gallus domesticus) dominate semi-scavenging village poultry production in

PNG. A recent village poultry farmer survey in the Waria and Morobe Coast Local Level

Governments of Morobe Province showed that 72% of households keep village chickens

under free range management system, and 61% of them keep flock sizes ranging between 1 to

10 chickens mainly for their own consumption, income generation and other traditional

obligations (Lobao, 2006). Quartermain (2002) estimated that about 200, 000 households

keep 1.5 million village chickens while an estimated 10,000 households keep Muscovy ducks.

The estimated production is 1,858 tonnes of carcass and 6 million eggs compared to

commercial broiler and layer birds with 23, 500 tonnes of carcass and 54 million eggs

respectively. In the past, attempts have been made to improve village poultry production,

which is traditionally low due to high mortality, poor nutrition, poor management and lack of

adequate housing. A million Muscovy ducks and dual purpose Black Australorps birds were

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 Communicated by Janet Pandi in the 2007 World Poultry Science Conference, Bankok, Thailand.

distributed to village farmers to replace village chickens as they can breed true and fertile

eggs that can be hatched in rural communities, given appropriate management and incubation

facilities (Kohun et al., 2002). With the concern for food security and adequate protein

supplies for rural communities with few economic activities, there is a great need to improve

production of village chicken, as it is probably the only animal production system affordable

by the poorer members of society (Quartermain, 2000).

c) Muscovy ducks

Muscovy ducks are the most popular breed of ducks in PNG and have been successfully

adopted into the subsistence farming system. These ducks are reared under either an extensive

system of free-ranging with supplementary feeding or in an intensive system of confinement

and commercial feeds or homemade rations. Supplementary feeds include cooked sweet

potato, banana and cassava, grated coconut, ripe banana, pawpaw, kitchen leftovers and agro-

industrial by-products (wheat millrun, copra meal and rice bran). Production under this

system is very low because of high duckling mortality, feeding and nutrition problems,

predation and stealing and lack of maintenance of breeding populations (NARI NIUS, 2002).

Flock sizes of Muscovy ducks kept by farmers under free-ranging system or subsistence

farming systems are relatively low (<30 ducks) while very few farmers keep more than 100

ducks under intensive systems (Biat 2006). Biat (2006) also stated that only a few farmers and

commercial operators keep larger numbers intensively with commercial feeds. This is

particularly because of the high cost of commercial feeds in maintaining larger populations.

Farmers not practicing supplementary feeding under free-ranging systems can only keep up to

30 ducks because of feed resource availability, high duckling mortality, stealing and predation

(NARI NIUS, 2002). This relates to the available feed resources for scavenging and

supplementary feeding and the exposure of the Muscovy ducks to the free-ranging

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 Communicated by Janet Pandi in the 2007 World Poultry Science Conference, Bankok, Thailand.

environment in the farmer’s field. A broiler duck market utilizing Muscovy ducks has been in

existence in rural and peri-urban communities since the formal introduction of Muscovy

ducks around the country in the 1980s by the Department of Agriculture and Livestock. This

local live duck market is characterized by marketing of drakes and ducks at live weights of

2.5 – 3.0 kg and 2.0 – 2.5 kg respectively (Biat 2006). Two of the most common problems for

these duck farmers are the high cost of commercial broiler feeds and the lack of technical

information.

III. HOUSING AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

The most common type of houses for small-scale poultry producers especially those looking

after broiler chickens and Muscovy ducks are structures built from traditional materials such

as trees or wood for frames, bamboos for walls and sago leaves or grass for thatched roofs, or

for those that can afford to have semi-permanent structures. The large majority use the deep

litter system with saw dust, wood chips or coffee hulls as the bedding material. In coastal

areas where it is warmer and with temperatures ranging from 24-30oC, the poultry houses

may be situated 3-5 km away form the living quarters. The source of lighting is mainly from

kerosene lanterns, or electric lamps for those that can afford to have electricity in their poultry

houses.

In the highlands and high altitude areas, where temperatures are typically around 16-20oC, but

may go as low as 7oC in high altitude areas, the management system, especially with the type

of housing differs from coastal areas. Families who look after broiler chickens house these

birds within their living quarters. These farmers have a separate section within the main house

for the birds. The heat and light from the fire is used as a source of heat and lighting for the

birds. Adequate ventilation is a problem as the houses are built on the ground and are totally

enclosed except for the main entrance. The storage of feed is also a major issue for these

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 Communicated by Janet Pandi in the 2007 World Poultry Science Conference, Bankok, Thailand.

farmers. Farmers looking after semi-scavenging flocks of village chickens, Australorps and

ducks, have traditionally built night houses for their poultry or in some cases leave the birds

to roost in trees.

IV. HEALTH AND DSISEASE ISSUES

In the past health and disease was not perceived as a major issue for these small-scale poultry

farmers (Asiba, 2001). Small-scale broiler producers in the highland and high altitude areas of

PNG experience stress related problems in their day-old broiler chicks related to

transportation and in grower and finisher birds, respiratory tract infections associated with

poor ventilation and litter management basically due to lack of basic husbandry knowledge

(Asiba, 2001). Symptoms exhibited due to these respiratory infections are excessive fluid in

the abdominal cavity and sometimes in the thoracic cavity. Laboratory findings indicate

E.coli, Streptococcus spp., Staphylococcus spp, Pasteurella app and Pseudomonas (Asiba,

2001). In coastal areas, small-scale broiler producers from time to time experience stress

related problems due to heat. Farmers looking after village chickens and Muscovy ducks have

problems related to poor nutrition; management and housing as these poultry species are

extensively managed and left to fend for themselves. The major disease affecting Australorps

currently are mites and fowl fox. There has been a recent outbreak of Newcastle disease in

some village flocks in parts of East New Britain Province in late 2006, and currently all

poultry species in and around the area have been culled.

With the outbreak of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in South Sulawesi in

neighboring Indonesia, poultry farmers especially small-scale producers are very concerned

about their flock of poultry as their livelihood is now threatened. Recently, concerned farmers

have been more alert and attentive and have been reporting incidences of deaths or unusual

behavior or symptoms of disease affecting their flocks. This was not so in the past and is a

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 Communicated by Janet Pandi in the 2007 World Poultry Science Conference, Bankok, Thailand.

positive sign that small-scale poultry producers are aware of the risks and threats posed by

HPAI.

V. THREAT POSED BY HPAI TO SSFPP

For most small-scale poultry farmers, looking after poultry this is their major source of

income and in developing countries such as PNG where food security is an issue along with

low protein intake in their diet, the impact of HPAI on these farmers could be devastating. As

stated in the preceding sections, about 50,000 small-scale broiler farmers, 200,000 households

keeping village chickens, and about 10,000 households keeping Muscovy ducks would be

affected.

Moreover, the animal genetic resources especially the native village chickens, several breeds

of Anas species ducks (Pekin, Campbell, Rouen, and Indian Runner) and the native and

indigenous bird species are highly threatened by this disease. Any outbreak of HPAI in birds

in the wild, or in domesticated poultry flocks in PNG could result in these animals being

culled as the first step in eradicating HPAI. On the positive side, whilst the country’s rough

and sparsely settled terrain poses difficulties with surveillance, communication and response

time in the event of an outbreak of disease, the geographical separation of poultry and human

populations may well limit the spread of the disease in such event

Currently with the assistance from Australia, the relevant authorities in PNG are conducting

border surveillance, and bird flu survey along the Western Province, informing local

communities and civil servants about bird flu. Papua New Guinea’s National Agriculture

Quarantine and Inspection Authority (NAQIA) stated that migratory water birds and nomadic

ducks pose the biggest threat to the entry of bird flu into PNG (Bonsella, 2006). As reported

in the National newspaper, migratory birds pose the biggest threat to the spread of the disease

across the PNG/Indonesian borders, especially along the Tonda wetlands of Morehead district

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 Communicated by Janet Pandi in the 2007 World Poultry Science Conference, Bankok, Thailand.

of the Western province. The area is a well known stopover between the months of August

and October for migratory and nomadic ducks from Russia, China and Indonesia. Wetland

areas in Manus and Sepik are also considered high risk surveillance areas. Poultry farmers are

encouraged to report any signs of disease to relevant authorities.

Poultry farmers who are concerned are now more alert and are taking initiatives to report

cases of disease outbreaks or any symptoms which they think may be associated with HPAI.

This is a positive outcome from the awareness campaigns being conducted and is a first step

against HPAI. In PNG where government services are hindered by mountainous terrains and

lust forests, and where most poultry farming families currently are ignorant of basic sanitation

practices and are hesitant to cull their sick birds, this initiative by concerned poultry farmers

to report cases of poultry related disease is a major step towards the prevention of HPAI.

VI. CONCLUSION

Papua New Guinea is a developing country where the majority of the people is still

subsistence farmers and depends entirely on the land and their small herds/flocks of livestock

for survival and sustenance. The threat pose by Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI)

especially to small-scale poultry farmers is thus considerable. In the event of an outbreak of

HPAI, difficulties with access, transport and communication as a result of limited

infrastructure, the rough terrain and remote location of many communities, are likely to

impact negatively on rapidity of response to the disease, but also may well limit the spread of

the disease. The effort from Australia with relevant authorities in PNG to educate the people

about HPAI is the first step PNG has taken in the fight against bird flu.

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REFERENCES

ANZDEC (1994). ANZDEC Ltd., Agricultural Research and Extension Project (Phase II),

1311p.

Asiba, G.B. (2000). Health Maintenance in Village Flocks in ‘Proceedings of the Poultry

Workshop’. Quartermain, A.R. (Ed). National Agricultural Research Institute, Lae

Papua New Guinea.

Biat, I.S. (2006). Keeping Muscovy ducks for broiler markets under lowland conditions,

(unpublished). National Agricultural Research Institute, Lae Papua New Guinea.

Bonsella, B. (2006). Migratory birds and ducks pose bird flu threat. The National newspaper,

Papua New Guinea

Kohun, J.P, Leka.S and Mazi.M. (2002). Egg production potentials of Australorp chickens

and Shaver Brown chickens, (unpublished). National Agricultural Research Institute,

Lae Papua New Guinea.

Kohun, P.J., Pandi, J., Glatz, P. and Miao, Z. (2006). Survey of current feeding practices and

attitudes to broiler chicken production, Technical Bulletin No.18. National

Agricultural Research Institute, Lae Papua New Guinea.

Lobao, M. (2006). Village Poultry Farmer Survey in three Local Level Government areas of

Morobe Province (unpublished), National Agriculture Research Institute. Papua New

Guinea.

NARI NIUS (2002) On-farm Duck Survey around Lae and Markham Valley. Oct - Dec 2002,

Vol. 5, No. 4.

Quartermain, A.R. (2000). Non-commercial poultry production in PNG. Asian-Australian

Journal of Animal Science, 13 (Supplement, July) C 304-307.

Quartermain, A.R. (2002). Conservation of animal genetic resources in PNG. Technical

Bulletin No. 4. National Agricultural Research Institute, Lae Papua New Guinea.

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Communicated by Janet Pandi in the 2007 World Poultry Science Conference, Bankok, Thailand.

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