THE Department of Agriculture and Livestock (DAL) had a fruitful dialogue with the PNG’s commodity board ministers and CEOs on major operational aspects of the National Agriculture Sector Plan 2024-2033 (NASP).
The fruitful dialogue emanates from an official consultative meeting that was held in Port Moresby on Thursday, October 3, 2024.
The consultative meeting discusses the legislative governance framework of NASP and the requirements for collaborative interventions under which the NASP will operate.
Attendees of the meeting among others include; Minister for Agriculture Hon. John Boito, Minister for Oil Palm, Hon. Francis Maneke, DAL Secretary Dr Sergie Bang and the Chief Executive Officers of all Commodity Boards.
Dr Bang, who expressed his satisfaction on the fruitful dialogue, stated that cooperation between all commodity boards and subsector agencies is key to the successful implementation of the NASP.
“Under the able leadership of Minister Boito, Minister Maneke and their co-colleague Ministers for Coffee and Livestock, we will finalise and push through the NASP governing legislation and the soon to be launched new Corporate Plan for DAL to fully effect implementation of the master agriculture plan for Papua New Guinea,” Secretary Bang said.
“Today’s dialogue was completely productive, open minded and articulated the core understanding and efforts of the 11 subsector agencies who are looking forward to implementing their respective roles to achieve the goals and objectives under the country’s new master plan for agriculture under the NASP.
“The inputs from the CEOs and the Ministers were high level, demonstrating their commitments to fulfill the desires of Government to resurrect the agriculture sector into the most productive segment in the economy of PNG.
“The Government has already tasked the agriculture sector to boost its status to a K30 billion entity within 10 years of which the CEOs and the DAL are enthused to deliver.”
Minister Boito shared similar sentiments, emphasizing collaborative effort from everyone to grow the respective subsector towards import replacement, generate revenue and create employment as required by the Marape-Rosso government.
“The Prime Minister in his own wisdom created three new ministries under the agriculture sector purposely to support the agriculture department and work towards import replacement, generate revenue and create employment,” Minister Boito said.
“I know the National Agriculture Administration Act (NAAA) guides some of the commodity boards to report directly to your respective minister but what I want is to coordinate with the main department that is the Department of Agriculture and Livestock.
“All commodity boards and subsector agencies must align their policies and work plans to the NASP and together we can work towards achieving government’s bigger goal in MTDP IV.”
Secretary Bang further stated that the professional inputs from the Commodity Boards demonstrated their willingness to working towards realigning their operations with the requirements of the NASP under its legal governance structure under the NAAA and the accompanying proposed investment vehicle Agriculture Investment Corporation Act (AIC).
Dr Bang said the CEOs were also briefed on the operations of the NAAA, that is now going through its final review stages before it is presented for approval by the NEC prior to being tabled in Parliament for passage.
“I can assure the Government of the overwhelming support of the agriculture sector, including the 11 subsectors comprising the Commodity Boards in realigning themselves into a more cohesive and progressive mission towards achieving the national policy goals and objectives,” Dr Bang said.
