National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) Director General Dr Nelson Simbiken says Papua New Guinea (PNG) has the research knowledge and technologies needed to respond to climate change, but limited funding and access to information remain major challenges.
Dr Simbiken made the comments during the first National Press Club for 2026 on Wednesday, 28th January 2026, in response to a question from PNG HAUSBUNG on whether current research investments adequately address the growing impacts of climate change on smallholder farmers and national food systems.
He said NARI has been involved in climate change research across the country for more than a decade, noting that Papua New Guinea is highly vulnerable to climate shocks.
“Because our country is very vulnerable to climate shifts, even small changes can result in increased pest and disease outbreaks and greater impacts on already vulnerable communities,” Dr Simbiken said.
He said NARI has generated critical data and research findings to support government responses to climate-related shocks with technologies developed to suit different environments and levels of climate impact.
“We have all the information necessary to support the government to address climate shocks,” he said.
“That information is available at NARI research stations, and we are continuously advising the government on the impacts and how they can be addressed.”
However, Dr Simbiken acknowledged that access to this information remains limited, particularly for farmers in remote areas.
“One of the key gaps is that our technologies and research information are not yet fully digitized, which means farmers cannot easily access them from their own locations,” he said.
Dr Simbiken also raised concerns about long-term funding for agricultural research, pointing out that while commodity research institutes such as the Coffee Research Institute and the Cocoa and Coconut Research Institute receive funding through export levies, NARI relies largely on recurrent government funding.
“For more than 10 years, NARI received very limited public investment in capital expenditure,” he said.
He said government support has improved in recent years allowing NARI to begin rebuilding rundown infrastructure and invest in research capacity but stressed that the funding is not guaranteed.
“We are now seeing government investment coming in to support research, but this is only temporary,” Dr Simbiken said.
“What we need is sustainable research funding not only for NARI, but across the entire National Agricultural Research System.”
Dr Simbiken said NARI is recommending government intervention through an agriculture innovation grant scheme which would provide long-term fiscal support to strengthen research, innovation and extension services for farmers.
He said sustained investment in agricultural research is essential to protect smallholder farmers and ensure national food security, as climate impacts intensify.
