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Farmers are the backbone of agriculture and the economy, but they still face many challenges in accessing resources and markets.
The Minister of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL), Franklyn Derek Wasi, has outlined the top priorities he plans to achieve to boost the country’s agricultural sector.
Minister Wasi said the main priorities are aimed at unlocking the full potential of Solomon Islands’ agriculture and livestock sectors, improving livelihoods, enhancing food security and promoting the country’s sustainable development.
He said farmers are the backbone of agriculture and the economy. However, they still face many challenges in terms of access to resources and markets. Therefore, as the new agriculture minister, he said he would prioritize policies and programs that empower farmers.
“I want agriculture to be the engine of economic growth in this country and I believe this can be achieved by having a proper and effective regulatory framework for the agriculture sector.”
“Of course, this is a difficult initiative, but I am confident that partnership and this progress can be achieved through close collaboration with various stakeholders and partners in the agricultural sector.
Minister Wasi and his staff hope to achieve several priorities in the coming months and years to boost the agriculture sector:
- Strengthen support for small farmers.
- Invest in research and development by rebuilding the National Agricultural Research Center.
- Smart agriculture enhances climate resilience and adaptation.
- Market access and value addition.
- Capacity building and revitalization of extension services.
- Public-private partnerships.
- Support for commercial farmers
- Rethinking farm cooperatives to address export volume issues
- Agricultural infrastructure
- Supporting profitable agricultural business start-ups
On strengthening support for smallholder farmers, Minister Wasi said: “Smallholder farmers are the backbone of our agricultural sector but they often face many challenges in accessing resources, markets and technical assistance”, adding that under his leadership, MAL will prioritize the development of policies and programmes to empower smallholder farmers by providing them with greater access to credit, inputs, extension services and market linkages.
“Innovation is critical to the long-term sustainability and competitiveness of our agricultural sector. MAL intends to prioritize investments in research and development and foster collaboration among government, academia and the private sector to develop and adopt cutting-edge technologies and practices that improve productivity, resilience and environmental sustainability,” he said.
On climate resilience and adaptation, he said: “Solomon Islands is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, including extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and changing rainfall patterns”. As the new Minister of Agriculture, he said his department is committed to implementing climate-smart agricultural practices to increase the resilience of our agricultural systems, conserve natural resources, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“Access to domestic and foreign markets is also critical to the economic viability of our agricultural sector. With the support of my staff, we will work to strengthen market linkages and improve infrastructure, logistics and quality standards to facilitate the movement of agricultural products from farm to market. In addition, MAL will promote value addition and agro-processing to improve profitability of agribusinesses and create jobs.”
On capacity building and extension services, he said: “Knowledge is power and MAL recognises the importance of providing farmers with the skills, information and training they need to succeed. I will ensure that my department invests in extension services, farmer training programmes and agricultural education to build the capacity of our farming communities and promote best practices in agronomy, livestock management and agribusiness.”
On Public-Private Partnerships Minister Wasi said: “Collaboration between the public and private sectors is critical to driving innovation, investment and growth in the agriculture sector. Under my leadership, the Ministry of Agriculture will seek partnerships with private businesses, non-governmental organizations and development agencies to leverage resources, expertise and networks for the benefit of our farmers and rural communities.”
Meanwhile, Permanent Secretary Dr Samson Velu said he looked forward to working closely with the Minister and supported him as a leading reformer on all priorities.
Source: Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Press Release
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