Tree Growing

Promoting smallholder teak and sandalwood plantations in PNG and Australia

ACIAR Project FST/2018/178 aims to improve timber supply and income for landholders through the development of smallholder planted forests for viable smallholder teak and indigenous sandalwood production. Field research is undertaken in East New Britain and Central Provinces with the project’s outreach partners: Organisation for Industrial, Spiritual & Cultural Advancement, University of Natural Resources & Environment, Women & Youth in Agriculture, and PNG Forest Authority (Central Province).

This intervention is led by the University of Sunshine Coast with support from the PNG Forest Authority and Forest Research Institute. PIP has developed its online communication strategy and facilitated the construction of this website. PIP is now collaborating with the project’s outreach partners to strengthen the knowledge base within communities through different modes of delivery. 

The Tree Growers Tool Kit resources assembled during the project are presented below:

Operation Painim Graun na Planim Diwai (PGPD)

Operation PGPD aims to fast-track the PNG government’s reforestation and afforestation strategies, leading to 800,000 hectares of new trees planted by the year 2050. The program assists tree planting operations on both customary land and state land; working through the PNG Forest Authority’s regional and provincial forestry offices.

This intervention is led by the PNG Forest Authority. PIP has developed and tested a set of awareness resources for customary landowners and their outreach partners through a series of regional workshops and field visits.

The Tree Growers Tool Kit resources assembled during the project are presented below:

Encouraging customary landowners to reforest their grasslands

ITTO Project PD 552/09 aimed to create a model reforestation framework, comprising awareness, training and support services, that encouraged customary landowners in the lowlands of Central Province to reforest their grasslands with high-value trees.

This intervention was led by the PNG Forest Authority. PIP facilitated the selection of local priority tree species and planting arrangements for community groups in the Central Province lowlands using the Tree Selection Pack. This led to the preparation and field-testing of the Central Province Pack, containing a tree selector pamphlet with factsheets for growing 6 high-value trees.

The Tree Growers Tool Kit resources assembled during the project are presented below:

Enabling community forestry in Papua New Guinea

ACIAR Project FST/2016/153 aimed to improve rural livelihoods through family-focused community reforestation and agroforestry in PNG. Field research was undertaken in Morobe and Eastern Highlands Provinces with the project’s outreach partners: Ramu Agri Industries and PNG Forest Authority (Eastern Highlands).

This intervention was led by the University of Sunshine Coast with support from the PNG Forest Authority and Forest Research Institute. PIP was responsible for the dissemination of project information and resources via the PIP website and associated platforms.

The Tree Growers Tool Kit resources assembled during the project are presented below:

Improvement and management of teak and sandalwood in PNG and Australia

ACIAR Project FST/2014/069 aimed to advance the development of germplasm sources and smallholder-friendly silviculture systems for teak and sandalwood to provide new opportunities for enhancing smallholder livelihoods and achieving PNG’s plantation development target.  Field research was undertaken in East New Britain and Central Provinces with the project’s outreach partners: Organisation for Industrial, Spiritual & Cultural Advancement, University of Natural Resources & Environment, and PNG Forest Authority (Central Province).

This intervention was led by the University of Sunshine Coast with support from the PNG Forest Authority and Forest Research Institute. PIP facilitated the selection of local priority tree species and planting arrangements for community groups in East New Britain Province using the Tree Selection Pack. This led to the preparation and field-testing of the East New Britain Pack, containing a tree selector pamphlet with factsheets for 8 trees. PIP was also responsible for the layout and overall design of the Sandalwood Growers Pack.

The Tree Growers Tool Kit resources assembled during the project are presented below:

Enhancing the implementation of community forestry approaches in PNG

ACIAR Project FST/2011/057 aimed to identify how community forestry in PNG can be enhanced and scaled-up to achieve better economic, social, and environmental outcomes. Field research was undertaken in Madang, Morobe, and Eastern Highlands Provinces with the project’s outreach partners: Ramu Agri Industries, Foundation for People & Community Development, and PNG Forest Authority (Eastern Highlands).

This intervention was led by the University of Sunshine Coast with support from the PNG Forest Authority and Forest Research Institute. PIP was responsible for the dissemination of project information and resources via the PIP website and associated platforms.

The Tree Growers Tool Kit resources assembled during the project are presented below:

Improving the Papua New Guinea balsa value chain to enhance smallholder livelihoods

ACIAR Project FST/2009/016 aimed to enhance the value, value recovery and international competitiveness of the East New Britain balsa industry and, by doing so, optimise its benefits for smallholder growers. Field research was coordinated through a Local Advisory Committee comprising provincial government, private sector, and grower representatives. 

This intervention was led by the Australian National University with support from the PNG Forest Authority. PIP was responsible for the identification and testing of extension, communication and capacity building activities that could best support the development of the balsa industry in East New Britain Province.

The Tree Growers Tool Kit resources assembled during the project are presented below:

Developing a PNG timber industry based on planted forests: design and implementation of a national germplasm delivery system

ACIAR Project FST/2007/078 aimed to advance the development of germplasm sources and smallholder-friendly silviculture systems for teak and sandalwood to provide new opportunities for enhancing smallholder livelihoods and achieving PNG’s plantation development target. Field research was undertaken in East New Britain Province with the project’s outreach partners: Organisation for Industrial, Spiritual & Cultural Advancement, and University of Natural Resources & Environment.

This intervention was led by the University of Sunshine Coast with support from the PNG Forest Authority and Forest Research Institute. PIP was responsible for the development and testing of a method for landowners to identify the most suitable tree species and planting arrangements for their context. 

The Tree Growers Tool Kit resources assembled during the project are presented below:

Note: Survey forms are also available on KoboCollect for mobile data collection.

Value-adding to Papua New Guinea agroforestry systems

ACIAR Project FST/2004/050 aimed to foster the adoption of commercial-scale high-value tree growing by landowners in PNG. Field research was undertaken in Madang, Morobe, and Western Provinces with the project’s outreach partners: Village Development Trust, Ramu Agri Industries, and Ok Tedi Development Foundation.

This intervention was led by the Australian National University with support from the PNG Forest Authority and Forest Research Institute. PIP was responsible for the development of a communications strategy that ensured project knowledge was widely disseminated to relevant parties in PNG.  This work led to the formation of the TGTK and PIP website.

The Tree Growers Tool Kit resources assembled during the project are presented below:

Our Network

We are privileged to collaborate with the national and international organisations below on selected tree growing projects, both past and present.

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