Abstract
Based on the author ’s field survey in Siuhamason, a Kubo-speaking village, in Papua New Guinea in 1988 and 1994, this paper reports some factors which affect productivity of sago making. The distinctive feature of sago making in Siuhamason is seen in beating pith before extracting starch, which amounts to one fourth of time spent in starch production and moy reduce productivity per hour. Since low productivity per labor time is compensated by increase of participants or work force, however, productivity per palm in Siuhamason is almost identical with that observed in Gwaimasi, another of Kubo-speaking village. Labor productivity of neighboring Pa-speaking visitors to Siuhnmason extremely exceeds that of Kubo villagers, and this may be caused by the different pounding tools and non-beating of pith. In Siuhamason, the people are not willing to accept new techniques for starch production, although they know them.
https://ror.org/05h9h0e34 
