As part of efforts to promote the handicraft sector in Papua New Guinea, a handicrafts biosecurity awareness video and a vendor guide will be launched today (22 September) by Australia’s Assistant Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Hon. Keith Pitt, MP and PNG’s Minister for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Hon. Emil Tammur, MP.

The awareness materials have been developed by the Australia and New Zealand-funded Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access (PHAMA) Program in consultation with biosecurity authorities in Australia and New Zealand and in collaboration with PNG’s National Agriculture Quarantine and Inspection Authority, Tourism Promotion Authority and artisans and vendors from the private sector.

The sale of handicrafts is an important source of income for many families in PNG. However, a limiting factor to the growth of this industry is the cautious buying behaviour by tourists who are uncertain of the quarantine status and overseas biosecurity requirements of certain handicrafts from the Pacific Islands.

The video, which will be made available on cruise ships, offers information to tourists on what can and cannot be brought into Australia and New Zealand, as the key markets for Pacific tourism. The vendor guide will be distributed among handicraft artisans and vendors to help improve their awareness of biosecurity requirements.

As part of PHAMA’s capacity building objective, the program is also supporting a training of trainers’ workshop to help artisans, vendors, quarantine and tourism personnel, and other interested stakeholders understand how to use the vendor guide.

With the launch of the awareness materials, better returns are expected from handicraft exports and stakeholders will be able to minimise the risks of exported handicrafts being rejected at quarantine borders through appropriate inspection and treatment.

PHAMA has also supported the development of similar awareness materials in Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

For further information, contact Sidney Suma at s.suma@phama.biz or on +675 7640 3290