BY JOHN HOUANIHAU
THE Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock have launched its 2021-2030 strategic plan Tuesday Last week.
This was announced by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL) Permanent Secretary, Mrs Ethel T Francis during the International World Food Day celebration in Honiara last week.
“It is the first time we have a longer term plan to capture the nature of agriculture investment. In agriculture it takes time before you fully realised the return of your investment,’’ she said.
She said that the long term planning set the Country for a long lasting investment returns and impact.
She said the country’s vision for agriculture sector as presented in the strategy is to have ‘a sustainable, competitive and prosperity for all Solomon islanders’.
PS Ethel added that the 2021-30 investment plan identifies strategic opportunities and outlines ambitious path way to revitalise the sector.
According to Mrs Ethel the overall goal of the strategy are: to increase agriculture sector contribution to GDP, increase self-sufficiency through local food supply chains, decrease levels of stunting in children under 5 years, increase agriculture productivity and value addition, increase profitability for all value chain actors and decrease levels of people living below the poverty line.
She said that these had been organised in to four major programs with sub-programs and are as follows.
She added that the first program is Governance knowledge management and innovation where it seek to improve organisational structure, and processes, creates enabling environment for innovation and research, provide public access to information and best practices that promote sustainable growth of the sector.
She further added that the 2nd program is on National Food and Nutrition security that seek to promote innovative technologies and resilient production systems to increase accessibility, availability, affordability and diversity of nutrition food for all Solomon Islanders.
PS Ethel said the 3rd program is Livestock production for import substitution and this is to enhance livestock productivity through improved breeds, veterinary, technical advisory services, promoting of environmentally sustainable farming systems for small scale holder and commercial scale livestock development.
The 4th program according to the PS is crop production for export earnings which is to increase productivity and quality of existing agricultural producers as well as of new high value crops for the export as well as domestic market, through improved varieties, resilient farming system and good agriculture practices.
She challenged Solomon islanders that the development aspiration of this Nation and families can be achieved through agriculture sector.
“If you believe in it solving the problems and see yourself prospering through, then this strategic road map is for us, and it’s us to work together in implementation processes.
“We can deliver the aspirations in this plan but it needs commitments and I must say change in attitude in our thinking and behaviours,’’ she said.
She said that the key players needs to strengthen their determinations and partnership because the opportunity is our own status as the people and country and the economy needs it.
