MY LIFE STORY - JUSTIN KAPI

 

 

 
Farmers working in their rice paddies.

FROM A UNIVERSITY GRADUATE TO A RICE FARMER

 

If there is a journey of independence story that needs to be told, this is one such inspiring special journey.

All too often, we have university and college graduates complaining about being unemployed after graduation.

The reason is simple. There are not enough opportunities in the job market.

But where there is a will, there is a way. The subject of this story is a young man named Justin who grew up the hard way. Through grit and grind on the land, he made it to Unitech and graduated.

Justin graduated with a degree in accounting. It was a paper that also taught him the practicalities of life.

As the name suggests, in life you have to account for everything, your land, your family, your food, your love life, your association with the creator, even every little red penny you earn.

Justin Kapi knew that if he did not get a regular day job, he still had to account for his time on earth.

He was innovative and creative. When he heard about PNG’s biggest rice grower Trukai’s Smart Farmers program, he immediately enrolled.

This is Justin’s story. For all those Unitech, UPNG, UNRE and UoG graduates still looking for a job, we hope this truly inspiring story will motivate you out of you dream like state.

Justin checking on a banana bunch.

My name is Justin Kapia, aged thirty-three (33).

I am the first of three siblings born to Joan Kapia of Urgai village of the Bari tribe in the Kerowagi District of Chimbu Province.

My mother mostly raised me. Being the eldest, toiling the soil was part of my childhood life, growing up. That was where my passion for agriculture grew.

Despite being very little, I was the family man, I cleared bushes, dug drains, and plowed the soil for my mother to plant.

Through all the hardships life threw at us, it was by God’s grace that I was able to complete my secondary schooling at Kondiu Rosary Secondary, scoring all distinctions.

I continued to the Papua New University of Technology to study Accounting and graduated in 2018, with a Bachelor's Degree in Commerce and Accountancy.

After I graduated, I ventured into small business in the informal sector. However, my passion took the best of me, I had to go back to my village and do something with my land.

So, I ventured into farming. That was where I met my beautiful and supportive wife, Nancilla Simbai – a professional secondary school teacher who has given me three beautiful daughters.

She is an indoor person who had never planted kaukau (sweet potato)) before I met her ha ha! Now she can plant kaukau! It was at the beginning of 2023, around January when I first saw the Trukai Smart Farmers Training program on Facebook.

Without a second thought, I applied without further delay. I was accepted and enrolled at Unitech, Taraka Campus, not for a degree again but as a smart farmer.

After two weeks of intensive training, I returned home to my small family with the skills and knowledge acquired, with only two (2) kgs of Trukai rice seeds (T12).

From there I gathered my people of Nigl Gol – Kup Local Level government and under the guidance of my farm manager Philip William and myself, we planted three hectares of rice. We are hopefully looking forward to harvesting 21 tons at the end of January next year (2024).

A clearing ready for planting.

Furthermore, we have integrated ducks, rice and fish, which brings numerous economic benefits. This approach, known as the “Three Sisters of Sustainable Farming” has been practiced for centuries in many regions worldwide.

Our ducks provide the best pest control services by consuming insects, weeds, and snails in the rice paddies. This reduces the need for chemical pesticides, resulting in cost savings. Moreover, duck droppings act as a natural fertilizer, enhancing soil fertility without additional expenses.

Moreover, rice cultivation benefits from the presence of these ducks as they move through the rice fields, they help in weed suppression and promote aeration of the soil, which improves rice growth and reduces the need for manual labor for weed removal.

Finally, we have also introduced the integration of fish into this system which complements the rice and duck’s relationship. The fish feed on the insects and larvae in the water, reducing disease risks and improving water quality. In return, the rice plants provide cover and shade for the fish while their root systems stabilize the soil, preventing erosion.

My extended family of Nigl Gol is also very supportive of what I am doing, as this is the first of its kind in our area in Kup LLG. So, most of the manual labor comes from the youth.

We have finally received the attention of the entire community and they are really motivated to take this approach.

Justin leading the way.

The Trukai Smart Farmers Program headed by Ms Aina Davis (the Country’s Rice Development Manager) had again supplied us with six 25 kg of Trukai rice seeds (T12). The economic advantages are notable.

This method of farming reduces the reliance on chemical inputs and manual labor, farmers can learn from this and save money on pesticides and weeding costs. Additionally, the output of yields of rice and fish will increase, leading to higher agricultural productivity and potential income generation.

Overall, the integration of ducks, rice, and fish offers a sustainable and economically beneficial approach to farming.

·    In the current economic times we live in, Justin is just one of many universities educated young man who has turned to the land to build his life. He has not allowed setbacks in his life to destroy his passion for agriculture and from his story, we are sure he is building a promising future for his family and his community.