During the recent visit of Papua New Guinea (PNG) Prime Minister James Marape to Guangdong Province, Heai Steven Hoko, Acting Deputy Secretary of the Department of Agriculture and Livestock, shared his insights in an interview with South on how technological cooperation with China is reshaping PNG's agricultural landscape and attracting young people back to the farming sector.
Heai Steven Hoko, Acting Deputy Secretary of the Department of Agriculture and Livestock on an interview with South.
Hoko began by highlighting the success of the Juncao technology project in Eastern Highlands Province. "The Chinese experts there have done a marvelous job," he said, noting that the government has been very positive about this intervention. The technology, which uses a hardy grass for mushroom cultivation and livestock feed, is currently applied in only one province across the country.
However, growing national interest is fueling plans for expansion. Since its introduction, the China-aided Juncao project has provided training over 800 local farmers and been recognized as a model of South-South agricultural cooperation by the United Nations. The project has already demonstrated that a single hectare of Juncao can yield up to 450 tons of fresh grass annually, enough to feed 300 pigs or support substantial mushroom production.
Juncao technology project introduced in Eastern Highlands Province, PNG.
Turning to trade, Hoko acknowledged that PNG's traditional exports—coffee, cocoa, coconut, rubber, and oil palm—remain the backbone of the sector. "80% of our population depend on agriculture, and many of them are rural-based," he stressed. The country is eager to expand agricultural exports to China, which in 2023 imported agricultural products worth approximately $1.2 billion from Pacific island nations, with PNG as the largest supplier.
Emerging crops like vanilla present new collaboration opportunities in technological exchanges, joint research and development, and market access.
A major concern, however, is youth employment. "(Each year) we have 1 million young people coming out of our education system and many of them couldn't find jobs," Hoko said. With roughly 60% of PNG's population under the age of 25, making agriculture attractive to the next generation is both a challenge and a necessity.
The solution, he believes, lies in modernization: user-friendly machinery, drones, and digital technologies that appeal to young people. Crucially, land access is not a barrier—"many of our people own land, and they can always use their land to practice agriculture."
China's own experience offers a compelling parallel: agricultural mechanization and e-commerce platforms have helped retain rural youth, and Chinese agricultural drone companies have already established operations across Southeast Asia and Africa, with technologies readily adaptable to PNG's terrain.
Addressing the youth of Guangdong, Hoko pointed to a shared vision: "We introduce technological innovations and make it pleasant, make it exciting for young people to take up agriculture, fisheries, and others."
Prime Minister James Marape meets with the "father of Juncao technology" recently in Guangzhou.
He expressed confidence that China has all the technologies to help PNG grow its economy, citing bilateral agricultural cooperation that has grown steadily since the two countries established diplomatic relations.
As PNG seeks to commercialize its smallholder-dominated agricultural sector and integrate younger generations, the partnership with China offers a practical blueprint—one where technology transforms farming from traditional manual labor into an interesting career path and business opportunity.
Reporter: Guo Zedong
Video, cover & photo: Guo Hongda
