Renovation work has commenced at the National Agriculture Insect Collection Centre (NAIC) in Port Moresby.
NAIC is an arm of the National Agricultural Research Institute and is the only national centre that houses over 90 000 specimens of insects.
Insect collections are essential for scientific research, education and conservation efforts. They provide valuable resources for species identification, discovery and monitoring of insect populations.
Properly preserved and stored specimens can be enjoyed and studied for hundreds of years, contributing to our understanding of biodiversity and the ecological importance of insects.
Development of the NAIC database began in 2018 with recording of 24 035 specimens belonging to 2 183 species from four orders: Lepidoptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera and Orthoptera.
The collection has now grown to 96 744 specimens with over sixteen orders.
Through a tender process, NARI has awarded the contract to JS Engineering based in Port Moresby to carry out renovation works at the value of K 210,000.
The contractor was selected based on proven record of completing work on time and within budget.
The contract was signed between the contractor and the NARI Management on 2nd February 2026.
The renovation work will include purpose-built rooms to store and preserve insect specimens, work room to clean the specimens and the display room to showcase the specimens.
There is also general work to improve office and rest rooms for staff.
The Institutes Management received full funding in 2025 from the Department of National Planning, under the Public Investment Program (PIP).
Work is set to be completed in April 2026.
Preservation and data collection on the insects found in the country is key in agricultural research work. It helps scientists understand the nature of pest and diseases affecting crops.
Signing the contract on behalf of NARI, was Deputy Director General Dr. Peter Gendua.
Dr Gendua expressed gratitude to the National Government through the Department of National Planning for supporting this small but significant project.
