ENGA FARMERS RECEIVE FIRST CLIMATE SMART VANILLA HUSBANDRY AND PROCESSING TRAINING.

Enga Province is the first amongst the 7 Highlands Provinces to receive the climate smart vanilla husbandry and processing training. The training was organized by the Enga Provincial Division of Agriculture and Livestock (DAL) under the leadership of Director Mr. John Yamarak. The training was conducted at Baptist Mission, Waipukam ward, Kompiam district covering a total of 8 villages, 31 existing and potential vanilla farmers with 5 DAL officers for 3days from 13th -15th January 2026. Training was delivered by Vanilla Specialist and director of Gaulma Agri services Limited, Mr. Nanda Siri. Enga provincial DAL Director, Mr. Yamarak said, it was his vision to diversify and invest in crops of great economic value, and vanilla a lucrative cash crop, despite not famous in the highlands, he was confident from his assessment of the existing farmers and what climate change can bring to their advantage. He said, vanilla grows well but farmers lack the vital knowledge and skills required to cultivate the crop to see the full economic potential of the crop. For these reasons and to diversify agricultural commodities for farmers benefits, he engaged Gaulma Agri Services to deliver the training. And this week has been a much-anticipated week of accomplishment. Training was conducted in both theory (40%) and practical (60%), covering both husbandry and processing. Vanilla Specialist, Mr. Siri said, it was his dream to help the highlands farmers grow vanilla and he thanked the Enga Provincial DAL through the office of the Director to make his dream a reality through their invitation to conduct this very vital training for the farmers in Enga Province. He said, he will assist EPG DAL and farmers throughout the whole vanilla value chain to see the full economical value of vanilla in Enga Province. Present at the training were 5 Enga Provincial DAL senior officers, Mr. John Yamarak - Enga provincial DAL Director, Mr. Nicholas Monape – Officer in charge of Talum Research centre, Mr. Samson Fezamo- DRDO Wabag District, Mr. Chris Lakaio-Provincial Agribusiness Officer and Mr. Issac Pep – Provincial Food Crops Officer. They were all impressed of such a first training to their Province and pledged to support and extend where needed by others who do not attend the training and remain committed to its value chain enhancement. Facilitated also was, Mr. Jackson Mark, co-director of Gaulma Agri services Limited with a brief vision board diagram, illustrating how vanilla farmers can aim to farm as a business by understanding all their strengths, weakness, opportunities and Threats and plan and take small but serious actions to accomplish each milestones in progress towards their targets and achieving their main Goals in life as a vanilla farmer. In support of this was, Mr. Chris Lakaio- Enga Provincial Agribusiness Officer, who outline the importance of farmers working in groups (cooperatives, associations) and the formal process of registration. The training was officially closed by Kompiam Ambum district administrator, Mr. James Timil who thanked the Enga Provincial DAL for the first of its kind initiative to boost the vanilla farming in his district and Enga Province. He also thanked the facilitators and congratulated the participants and asked them to share the knowledge to others who are interested but did not attend. Training Certificates for the participants were prepared by Gaulma Agri Services Limited in collaboration with Enga Provincial DAL to be distributed to the training participants. Gaulma Agri Services Limited co-director, Mr. Jackson Mark, extends its appreciation to the Enga Provincial Government (EPG) through the Division of Agriculture (DAL) for the invitation to deliver the Climate Smart Vanilla Husbandry and Processing Training. He also appreciated the farmers who fully committed to the full 3days of training and challenged them to farm with business mindset. He said, with dedication, patience, sweat and pain, comes real satisfactions and wishes the farmers bests as they continue to grow vanilla industry in Enga Province and in the Highlands.