In the lush plains of Cape Rodney in the Abau District, within Papua New Guinea’s Central Province, more than a thousand rubber trees stand as silent witnesses to decades of agricultural ambition and, more recently, to a growing sense of abandonment.
Once a hub of rural enterprise and a key player in the nation’s cash crop economy, the region’s rubber industry now teeters on the edge of collapse, if a recent awareness report is to be believed.
The report by the Cape Rodney Rubber Farmers Taskforce Committee has shed new light on the state of the Cape Rodney Agriculture Development Project (CRADP), revealing a troubling narrative of mismanagement, decaying infrastructure, and lost opportunity.
Rubber has long held a special place in PNG’s agricultural quest to build the nation, yet it is “undermined and not prioritized,” according to the report. It is non-seasonal, non-perishable, and self-generating, often described as “money on the bark.”
Since its introduction in the pre-colonial era, and particularly during the 1960s under the plantation schemes, rubber production has become central to Cape Rodney’s economy.
CRADP currently boasts over 1.45 million rubber trees spread across 8,500 hectares, contributing 64% of the country’s total rubber output. Nationally, the industry generates approximately K70 million annually through the export of Technically Specified Rubber (TSR CR10).
However, as the Field Awareness Report dated 2023 highlights, this success story is now mired in stagnation.
Farmers Speak Out
The Taskforce Committee, made up of farmers and landowners from the divisions of Manabo, Cocolands, Ianu, and Upulima, was formed to advocate transparency and reform. Their latest field report provides an extensive evaluation of the CRADP, focusing on how millions of kina in Public Investment Program (PIP) funds allocated for nursery rehabilitation and rural development have not yielded visible progress.
At the center of the committee’s concerns is the claim that the Rubber Industry Board, tasked with overseeing industry development, has failed to deliver on key initiatives outlined in the national Medium-Term Development Plan III (MTDP III) and the Agriculture Medium-Term Development Plan (AMTDP).
Mervyn Hibo, President of Cape Rodney Agriculture Development Project (CRFSA) or the farmers’ representative, reiterated their message: they need help to rebuild and revive the plantations and rubber production.
For instance, Hibo noted that despite a K2-million injection through the 2023 national budget, intended specifically for nursery rehabilitation, not a single operational nursery exists in any of the divisions. A nursery established in 2014 now lies abandoned, overtaken by tall grass and weeds, he said.
“This neglect poses a serious risk. With most trees now over 30 years old and increasingly susceptible to fungus and termites, without new plantings, a steep decline in rubber yield is inevitable,” he said.
Equally concerning is the condition of rural infrastructure, the report noted. Access roads to plantations have deteriorated to the point of being impassable, especially during rainy seasons. Farmers face enormous challenges transporting goods or reaching essential services. In some cases, private rubber buyers have resorted to self-funding road repairs just to maintain their operations.
The report also points to administrative shortcomings, including poor recordkeeping and the dilapidated state of DAL (Department of Agriculture and Livestock) offices and staff housing. Land titling remains unresolved for many farmers due to misplaced documents and outdated systems. Only a small fraction of block holders have officially secured their land titles, undermining security and long-term investment.
Furthermore, rubber prices remain fixed at K1.20 a kilogram, with no price support provided since the COVID-19 pandemic. The limited number of buyers -- one at Upulima and two at Moreguina -- leaves farmers vulnerable to market fluctuations and without bargaining power.
The Bigger Picture
These issues are not isolated, the report noted, as they reflect “a wider pattern seen across many of PNG’s commodity boards.” Climate change, funding limitations, and a lack of localised governance have made it difficult for rural agricultural communities to thrive. Among the Taskforce’s findings and recommendations are:
- Return CRADP operations to Moreguina, enabling local officers to implement and monitor the Rubber Board’s work plan on-site.
- Forge a partnership between the Central Provincial Government, DAL, and Kumul Agriculture Holdings to revitalize the Moreguina rubber factory.
- Review governance structures within the Rubber Board, including a leadership transition following the expiration of the current chairperson’s term.
- Develop a strategic master plan, rooted in community-led committees, to align rubber industry growth with national development goals under Vision 2050 and the NADP.
Despite the setbacks, hope remains, as the report emphasizes the CRADP’s potential and the determination of its people to rebuild. The rubber industry “has the capacity not only to generate revenue but also to uplift rural livelihoods and strengthen PNG’s economic independence,” Hibo said.
According to the President of the Farmers and Settlers, Mr Wilson Thompson, “This is about meaningful participation. We must ensure our people benefit from the resources they have nurtured for generations.”
The challenge now, as Thompson said, is for policymakers, development partners, and industry leaders to listen and to act.
