Papua New Guinea University of Technology
Agriculture Department

AG106 Rural Sociology
ASSIGNMENT 1 Sem 2/2018
Lecturer: Dr. William Kerua

Believed theories about Papua New Guinea Agriculture and Rural Development

There are believed theories about Papua New Guinea Agriculture and Rural Development that has no
basis in fact. A great deal of misinformation exists about agriculture and rural development in PNG.
Some of it is repeated often in official reports, newspaper articles, letters to newspapers and in public
statements by prominent people and thus becomes a folktale or myth. One of the aims of your
assignment is to present facts about PNG agriculture and rural development, with the supporting
evidence, so that those who debate policy and make recommendations for change can base their
arguments on established truths, instead of myth.

Instructions

1. You are to select ONE of the following myths and write a comprehensive review with
argument and justification on the myth with inclusive of facts and figures including
references.
2. The Assignment is worth 15 marks
3. All work need to be typed and can be submitted in any format
4. Assignment is due on Thursday 19th July 2018 by 4:00pm. You have to leave your
assignment in my assignment box in the Agriculture Department.
5. Write/type your full name with student ID and course of study clearly on your assignment.
6. Late submission will result in losing marks.

Believed theories of myths

1. Agricultural production is seriously constrained by customary land tenure arrangements.
2. PNG agriculture has not changed for thousands of years. The practices and crops that are
used today are traditional and unchanging.
3. Application of ‘wantok system’ is arguably a main contributing factor to nepotism and corruption
in all organisations, management, and political levels in the country.
4. Women do most of the work in producing food in PNG.
5. Papua New Guinea is a country with diverse culture, traditions, and customs thus a hindrance
to rural development.
6. Poor governance of agricultural institutions does not matter because rural people grow their own food
and look after themselves.
7. The PNG Government reforms in decentralising powers to District and Local Level Government
(LLG) as brought vital services direct to rural people.
8. There is no poverty in rural PNG because there is plenty of food to eat.
9. PNG has an abundance of high-quality land for agriculture and any tropical crop will grow well
anywhere in PNG.