A rural-based farmer of Teptep in the Raicoast district of Madang province is driving agriculture services with the support of NARI through a project funded by the European Union.
Anno Darkop is a lead farmer in the area which is a border-lying station between Madang and Morobe. Mr Darkop has only reached Grade 10 of formal education from Markham Valley Secondary School and gained agricultural skills through his engagement with the provincial DAL, Taiwan Technical Mission and NARI.
He completed a course in Information Technology from the International Training Institute, Lae in 2011 but was unable to secure employment. A soft-spoken Mr Darkop’s true character comes to light when he speaks about improving agricultural services to the people of Teptep from both sides of the Madang-Morobe border.
In 2015 after accompanying a group of women from the Lutheran Church in Teptep to attend a conference in Chimbu, he made a short trip to NARI and DAL at Erap to learn about various agricultural activities in crops and livestock. Because of his interest, he was invited to attend a sheep farming training at DAL, Erap.
Mr Darkop’s enthusiasm grew as he progressed into learning how to look after sheep and goats. Before returning home, Mr Darkop was given eight sheep to rear in Teptep.
Mr Darkop’s passion and faith have been the two values which guided him over the years to serve his people. His strong determination was unstoppable as he left with the eight sheep to make the long distance walk, carefully guiding his flock of sheep through the rugged Finisterre Range from Wantoat in Markham to Teptep in Madang.
The bush track takes about three to four days by foot. Walking along this long track is a skill which Mr Darkop has mastered over the years and knows how to find his way around.
His determination and commitment is evident today where he has managed to raise 30 sheep from the eight he started with.
Despite encountering various obstacles such as theft, Mr Darkop has not lost hope but continues to rear his sheep and venture into other agriculture related activities and assisting villagers to adopt these activities.
Mr Darkop attended a vegetable training by DAL and a forestry nursery management skills funded by United Nations Development Program in 2017. The following year, he was engaged by NARI to deliver climate change resilient activities on food crops and livestock with funding support by the European Union.
This project evolved after a major drought in 2015 and 2016 hit so many areas in the country, damaging food gardens and left many starving. Teptep closed its school and the locals had to fend for themselves on remains of food in the wild and on what wasn’t damaged by pests.
A climate change resilience project prepares communities like Teptep to build their resilience by growing drought tolerant crops and learning coping strategies to withstand any future disasters such as drought.
Mr Darkop continues to support this activity by leading a team of 50 carriers to Raicoast to help transport fuel and livestock (goats and sheep) supplied by NARI. Among the team of carriers is a trained sheep that responds to Mr Darkop’s calls and will lead the new arrivals of goats and sheep along the cold and rugged mountains and over fast flowing rivers to arrive at Teptep.
Mr Darkop has trained youths how to look after goats and sheep, collect and maintain local sweetpotato varieties, and distributed wheat seeds to interested farmers in nine parishes.
The first farmers to have planted wheat are into their third harvest for the season and are enjoying the fruits of their labour through various styles of preparing wheat flour.
Mr Darkop also facilitated another NARI project to introduce two sets of solar rice mills as part of a pilot project. The project looked at boosting food security, creating market links and use of clean energy sources like solar.
Anno’s experience is a testament that agricultural development can be achieved if you have the love of helping your community with or without financial support. NARI is privileged to have worked alongside Anno who is now lead farmer in his community and a trusted partner for NARI to extend its research innovations.