REHABILITATING  VANILLA PRODUCTION OSFEPC

(ONE STOP FARM ENTERPRISERISE

PROMOTION CENTRE)

A PEGS INITIATIVE

OSFEPC  represents an innovative institution that will provide in ONE LOCATION a totally

 integrated ADVISORY SERVICE  for rural communities within  easy reach. The first PILOT

 OSFEPC is planned to be established  to  Rehabilitate East Sepik Vanilla Cultivation.  As soon

 as  this will have shown its success it can be replicated all over PNG to help revitalise the
 Rural Sector.

OSFEPC will be established by a team of international and national PEGS – PNG-UK experts

who will share their expertise with a team of  PNG nationals that will  offer the ADVISORY

 SERVICES to potential and existing East Sepik Vanilla Growers. PEGS – PNG  will aim to link 
each OSFEPC adviser with an appropriate  PNG expert to ensure  that each advisor can get a speedy
 advice by using their mobiles regarding the questions they themselves may not yet be able to  
answer satisfactorily.  This  Pilot  OSFEPC will thus play an important role in the rehabilitation of Vanilla Cultivation in the East Sepik.  The performance of the OSFEPC  will be carefully monitored by PEGS –PNG appropriate experts and evaluated by a team of objective observers.

OSFEPS by  involving the various different types of Stakeholder Organisations  in the Rehabilitation of Vanilla Cultivation such as the:

v National and Provincial Departmens of Agriculture and Livestock

v PNG SPICE BOARD

v East Sepik Provincial and Respective District Administration

to  arrange for  the availability of continued and quick access to expert advisors whenever  those 
who will  be working in the OSFEPC  may require it.

OSFEPC  aims to provide a ONE STOP  fully integrated advisory service that will meet the information   requirements of Vanilla Growers  such as :

v  Crop production

v  Post Harvest Processing, Grading & Packaging

v  Farm Management

v  Marketing  etc

v  Off Farm skill training

v  Natural Health Remedies and  Primary Health Services and

v  And any other Advisory Service Vanilla Growers may require

by first of all  building on already locally available skills. Those who have these skills will  be offered training to  make them more efficient and also how to convey their expertise to other members of
 their community.  Therefore the establishment of  OSFEP  will not only provide  income-earning opportunities for Vanilla Growers but will also strengthen community ties and ensure the SUSTAINABILITY of OSFEPC.

CROP PRODUCTION:  To grow Organic Vanilla involves a complex venture. Therefore growers 
need easy and continuous access to relevant advice. The Agricultural Extension Service that 
presently is located at District Council headquarters which are often quite some distance from 
where the farmers are that need their advice will thus be expected  to participate in offering  their advisory  services at the OSFEPC.

POST-HARVEST PROCESSING, GRADING AND PACKAGING:  OSFEPS   will  ensure 
increasing incomes  for Vanilla Growers through helping them to benefit from adding value to 
the crop they produce.

FARM MANAGEMENT advice will also  be offered at the OSFEPC  by an individual trained in basic accountancy and auditing as well as other management practices.  This will enable Vanilla Growers  to discover the cost-benefit  of their crop.

MARKETING:  OSFEPC  will advise Vanilla Growers to select a suitable Trade Name and Logo
 for their product thereby aiming to ensure a market niche for them even when  Vanilla Prices drop severely on the World Market. The  establishment of a world-wide reputation for the Organic 
Vanilla grown by East Sepik cultivators demand for their product has a good chance of continuing 
even in he face of  highly fluctuating World Market prices of Vanilla.  By keeping abreast with 
changing world market  Vanilla  prices PEGS – PNG   will aim to ensure  rising or at least stable 
market price outlets for  the Organic Vanilla  produced by East Sepik growers. 

OFF-FARM SKILL TRAINING:  As most of the East Sepik Vanilla growers are  likely to be
 women and there are also increasing numbers of  young  rural PNG women  who seek off farm 
skills and/or income earning  opportunities   the increased income East Sepik female Vanilla 
growers will derive  from their efficient Organic Vanilla cultivation  can be expected to widen 
demand for a variety of different products and services.  Therefore  representatives of PNG 
Women’s Organisations that focus on offering income-generating training for young women 
will also be invited to participate in the  OSFEPC This will further extend the benefit East Sepik communities will derive from the establishment of this Pilot OSFEPC.

NATURAL REMEDIES & PRIMARY HEALTH SERVICES:  Since obviously it is important to 
maintain the health of Vanilla Growers representatives from these health service providers will also be invited to participate in offering their advisory  services as part of the Pilot OSFEPC.

PARTICIPATION OF OTHER RURAL DEVELOPMENT-FOCUSED ORGANISATIONS IN THE OSFEPCS: PEGS – PNG will encourage and welcome the participation of all   organisations  
that focus on one or other aspect of the lives of Vanilla Growers. This “open-door policy” will  
succeed in broadening its agricultural focus for instance by including Micro-Credit Schemes 
and other similar organisations that provide HIV/AIDS awareness-raising. and altogether
 aim to improve the quality of life among East Sepik Vanilla growers.

TIMEFRAME: As this PILOT OSFEPC will be an integral part of the Rehabilitation of  East Sepik Vanilla Cultivation  Project  its establishment  will be synchronised with related  Project activities,  However,  the development of the PILOT OSFEPC  will involve the following 
phases:

  Phase 1   a)  Brainstorming Workshop in  the East Sepik region with participants from as many
 as possible   of the different stakeholder agencies.

       b)  Meetings in the East Sepik  area to explain and discuss the establishment of  
the Pilot   OSFEPC

                     c) Organising the building of the shed in which the  OSFEPC  will be housed

  Phase 2    a) Selection  and recruitment of  staff; 

                   b) Selection of Voluntary Staff

                      c)  Arranging staff linkages with relevant experts

  Phase  3   Staff training

  Phase  4   OSFEPCS  operational trial period  with PEGS – PNG offering help whenever needed

          and monitoring  the ongoing advisory service

Phase  5   Implementing any changes that have been found necessary

Phase  6   Brainstorming Workshop to elicit  how those who provide the advice and those who
 have    received  it  rate the OSFEPC performance and  implement any changes that have been found to be desirable

Phase  7  Evaluation by a team of objective  observers of the OSFEPC  performance.

Phase  8  Preparation and publication of Guidelines how to establish and operate  OSFEPC  in 
other parts  of Rural PNG

At the completion of the Vanilla Rehabilitation Project the Pilot OSFEPC is expected to have
 become  self-sustainable but if required it will continue to have access to PEGS – PNG for advice 
and help

SOME OF THE BENEFITS TO BE DERIVED FROM THIS OSFEPC PPROJECT:

1)       SPEEDY REHABILITATION OF VANILLA PRODUCTION IN THE EAST SEPIK

2)       EAST SEPIK’s  SUCCESSFUL PARTICIPATION IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY

3)       STRENGTHENING OF  THE ROLE AND STATUS OF EAST SEPIK FEMALE VANILLA 
GROWERS

4)       REDUCTION  NOT  ONLY IN RURAL TO URBAN MIGRATION BUT ALSO IN URBAN 
CRIMES