Papua New Guinea Roundup: Agricultural gains, Pope's visit, struggling landslide survivors

Increased demand for onions

The agriculture sector in Papua New Guinea is seeing increased demand for fresh onions, with prices rising to K150 ($38.32) per net. Local farmers are meeting the demand, despite challenges from weather and competition with imported onions. Chimbu Province leads in onion supply, and farmers are working to improve their product quality. The labour-intensive cultivation process is, however, required for the growth and maturity of onions over a four to five-month period, Fresh Plaza reports.

Pope Francis to visit Papua New Guinea

Most Reverend Otto Separy, President of the Catholic Bishop Conference (CBC) and Bishop of Bereina has announced that Pope Francis will be making a State Visit to Papua New Guinea from September 6 to 9, 2024, PNG National Information Centre confirms. “On the 12th of April 2024, the confirmation was made that the Pope is set to visit Papua New Guinea on the 6th – 9th of September, 2024,” stated Bishop Separy. “As PNG is a Christian country, the Pope’s visit is also spiritual. It’s not only for the Catholics, it’s for all Christians.”

Arau Project begins in Papua New Guinea

According to Stock Titan, Great Pacific Gold Corp. (GPAC) has begun drilling at its Arau Project in Papua New Guinea. The company has completed road rehabilitation and constructed nine drill pads. A reverse circulation (RC) drill rig has been mobilized to the site, marking GPAC's first drilling on its PNG projects. Concurrently, GPAC is preparing the Kesar Creek Project for a drilling program, with an ongoing phase 2 soil program nearing completion. The company has also started road rehabilitation work at the formerly producing Wild Dog Project in East New Britain Province. The Arau Project includes the Mt. Victor Prospect, where previous drilling identified a multi-phase intrusion complex hosting copper and gold mineralisation.

Papua New Guinea landslide tragedy survivors sleep on mass graves

Survivors of a devastating landslide in Papua New Guinea's Enga Province are still sleeping on the mass grave of their loved ones. Almost two months after the disaster, there is still no proper relocation plan for the victims and the main access road remains closed, leaving thousands in need of food and supplies. The community is calling for urgent assistance from the government and relief agencies, RNZ reports.

Earthquake at Wewak

A magnitude 5.2 earthquake near Wewak, East Sepik, Papua New Guinea, was reported just 9 minutes ago by Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency, the primary national agency monitoring seismic activity in this region. The earthquake occurred at a shallow depth of 10 km beneath the epicentre in the early afternoon on Friday, July 19th, 2024, at 2:51 pm local time. According to Volcano Discovery, the exact magnitude, epicentre, and depth of the quake may be revised in the coming hours or minutes as seismologists review data and refine their calculations, or as other agencies release their reports.