AGRICULTURE, the backbone of communities, has always been the lifeline for ordinary people, says the East New Britain Provincial Administrator.
Mr Levi Mano said this during the opening of the Division of Agriculture and Livestock Industry’s annual conference in East New Britain.
Mano underscored the need for effective support of agricultural programs to advance the sector’s objectives and encouraged a collaborative approach with private service providers to alleviate administrative burdens.
“We must change the way we conduct ourselves as an administration. To reduce the burden of executing our plans, we must collaborate and include private service providers,” he urged.
Acknowledging the limited capacity of the public service machinery in certain areas, Mano emphasized the importance of forming partnerships with private entities, with the administration’s role being to monitor and evaluate their progress.
The week-long Division of Agriculture and Livestock Industry Annual Conference focused on addressing issues and challenges within the agricultural sector.
The conference was attended by rural district officers (RDO), stakeholders, and governmental agencies, the conference operates under the theme “Together, we can make it happen”. It concluding on Friday, December 8.
Mano reminded RDOs to prioritize the needs of the people, emphasizing that self-interest and other issues have left communities suffering.
Addressing the issue of land scarcity, he suggested implementing land mobilization programs and called on officers to advise the government on meaningful initiatives for the agricultural sector.
The ENB Provincial Advisor for Agriculture and Livestock Industry, Dominic Huranaka, highlighted that the conference serves as a platform for discussions and debates to enhance service delivery in the province’s agriculture sector.
He urged a shift toward utilizing available resources and collaboration with partners to revive and advance various agricultural programs.
Meanwhile, the for next year would be hosted by the Pomio District.
ENB Deputy PA – Socio-Economic Peter Peniat also shared plans for a joint economic conference involving the Divisions of Fisheries and Marine Resources and Commerce & Industry in Pomio.
He stated the shift toward commercial agriculture and downstream processing to add value to local commodities and reduce imports.
