MAL is Pleased with the Agriculture Sector Development Policy Consultation Outcome.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL) is very happy with the outcome of the Agriculture Sector Development Policy consultations and thanked all that have participated and contributed constructively over the two days event.
Acting Deputy Secretary Special Duties (DSSD) of MAL Simon Baete at the close of the workshop said he was overwhelmed by the level of participation and contributions by all participating partners and stakeholders who are the active players of our agriculture sector.
He said the MAL technical team will over the next few days compile all the findings and finalize the policy document before organizing another session for all our donor partners before the lapse of the 100 days of the Government of National Unity and Transformation GNUT mid-September 2024.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL) in collaboration with its key partners and stakeholders hosts the consultation to get invaluable inputs and insights towards the formulation of a newly designed Agriculture Sector Development Policy (ASDP) that will transform agriculture into a resilient, sustainable, and profitable sector that benefits all Solomon Islanders.
Additionally, MAL through the new policy aims to recreate the agriculture and livestock industry into a more lucrative sector, attractive to our young generations and not just the elderly, that will actively engage and involve a wider demography of Solomon Islands.
This is because our young people are no longer interested to work in any agriculture field in the Solomon Islands anymore but have continued to flood agriculture farms in Australia and New Zealand.
Therefore, the Government for National Unity and Transformation (GNUT) in its overall policy statement intends to develop the sector to become the economic backbone of Solomon Islands by prioritising the agriculture sector, making it everyone’s business for long term sustenance of our economic development.
The GNUT government through MAL projected that the ASDP will capture and prioritize the empowering of our young people, women, and vulnerable groups, fostering a new generation of productive farmers who are equipped to lead the agriculture sector into the future through addressing the following policy areas;
- Conduct organizational and functional restructuring of the ministry
- Legislative and policy reforms to review outdated laws concerning the ministry and formulate new laws to boost agriculture production
- Revitalize the agriculture extension services for an enhanced productivity at the rural level
- Increase the export of commodities and value-added products of cocoa, coconut, coffee, cassava, vanilla and others through farm mechanization and commercial agriculture.
- Diversify production and venture into commercial rice farming, fruit trees, and high-value crops, and increase livestock production for import substitution by addressing issues affecting the sector.
- Build research capacity in Agriculture through the revival of the Agriculture Research Center
- Making agriculture attractive and resilient to climate change
- Securing SI fauna and flora against Invasive Alien Species and facilitating access to markets
The consultation which ended Wednesday 21st August, convened together officials from various government ministries and stakeholders including senior officials from the Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of National Planning and Development Coordination, Ministry of Finance and Treasury, Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology (MECDM), Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Labor and Immigration (MCILI), Ministry of Provincial Government and Institutional Strengthening (MPGIS), CEMA CSC, livestock and crop farmers, agriculture commodity exporters and importers, gender and people with special needs, value-adding stakeholders and others from the private sector.
Source: MAL Media
