More than 150 farmers in East New Britain participating in the Women and Youth in Agriculture initiative, in partnership with the PACD Cocoa Project, have received their day-old chicks following the earlier distribution of poultry house materials.

Distribution began in December 2025 across Kokopo, Vunamami, Warangoi and the Inland Baining areas. ENBWYIA Executive Manager, Kiteni Kurika, said the project encountered delays due to supply chain issues with Farmset.

Despite this, farmers are now caring for the chicks, and ENBWYIA will return in six to seven weeks to harvest the mature chickens. The birds will then be transported to an abattoir for processing.

Meanwhile, construction of ENBWYIA’s own mini poultry abattoir at Ramale ward in the Kokopo District is nearing completion. The facility is 95 percent complete and has undergone inspection by health authorities. Kurika noted that only minor adjustments are required to meet all health standards.

Once operational, the Ramale facility will have the capacity to process 300 chickens per day and employ five to ten workers. “What we are doing now is looking for markets. Farmers themselves are willing to buy their own chickens, but we are encouraging them to grow their birds and bring them to the abattoir for processing,” said Mrs. Kurika.

Because the Ramale abattoir is not yet ready, ENBWYIA has partnered with the Growers Association to process the chickens at the Vimi abattoir. Kurika said the Growers Association has been instrumental in guiding ENBWYIA through proper procedures, which has been a major benefit to the project.

The project is now in its final month of implementation. Data collection and processing are ongoing, and growers are expected to receive their income once sales are completed. This will support their cashflow and enable them to purchase their second batch of chickens to supply to the next group of farmers. Interest in the project is high. Farmers have shown improved skills in managing their birds, achieving impressive weights of 6 to 7 kilograms within six to seven weeks.

One of the current challenges is the supply of day-old chicks into Rabaul. With Farmset experiencing stock shortages, ENBWYIA has struggled with reliable storage and has been forced to keep supplies at its office—an arrangement Kurika admitted is inconvenient and unsustainable. Despite this, ENBWYIA sees a bright future in commercial poultry production, both as a business activity and as a long-term livelihood opportunity for farmers.

The organization now has 30 to 40 new farmers who registered independently of the project and are purchasing chickens directly. ENBWYIA currently works with 3,000 household members, and with production systems already established, Kurika is confident in the project's long-term sustainability.

Transport logistics remain one of the biggest challenges going forward. ENBWYIA is also exploring the possibility of establishing similar abattoirs in other areas with reliable power, based on data collected from participating communities.

“Our future focus on improving rearing and transport systems to ensure chickens are safely delivered to the abattoir. The interest is there, the farmers are committed, and the foundation has already been set,” Kurika said.