2016, Volume 24, Paper 2
ISSN: 1883-5675

Improving sweet potato marketing in Papua New Guinea: Results from a value chain analysis

Hui-Shung (Christie) Chang
John Spriggs
Jesse Anjen, Eleo Dowa
John Kewa
Donald Hehona

Sweet potato is the most important food crop in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea (PNG). In recent years, sweet potato has become a cash crop for smallholder farmers driven by the need to generate income in a market economy. Marketing opportunities exist for Highland sweetpotato, especially in coastal markets, because of income growth and urbanisation. Despite this, long distance sweetpotato marketing has been problematic. The objective of this research was to identify socio-economic constraints to, and opportunities for, improving the marketing efficiency of the long distance sweet potato value chain in PNG. The results from the value chain analysis suggested that although there was a demand for high quality Highland sweet potato in coastal markets, the long distance sweet potato value chain was underdeveloped.

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