in Port Moresby on Friday July 5, 2019.
“More than 6 million people in PNG are employed by agriculture in one way or another. To grow the economy and take back PNG, we need agriculture and nothing else.”
Agriculture Minister and Maprik MP John Simon said this at the recent launch of FPDA’s home-grown digital information service FARMIS.
“We all should do agriculture to change this country. We cannot take back PNG without agriculture. Our duty as agriculture professionals is to graduate subsistence farmers to become commercial farmers,” he said.
Minister Simon gave an example of his own electorate of Maprik where he has created 23 economic zones. These zones allow farmers to grow crops under cooperative societies and produce the volumes needed to supply markets consistently.
The minister also emphasised the need for agricultural extension services to be reintroduced in rural areas so farmers can be closely monitored and supported.
“Whether it be coffee, cocoa, copra or fresh produce, there is a need for the vibrant extension services that we had in the past. We need to bring it back,” he said.
The minister applauded FPDA’s efforts in developing a home-grown technology to help farmers to access information and advice on farming. He also praised FPDA for doing marvellous work in promoting the horticulture industry in PNG.
Minister Simon said funding from the Public Investment Programs (PIP) should be channelled directly to rural areas. This will equip rural farmers to improve their farming.
“It is common knowledge that most of the PIP funds are taken away by paper farmers at Waigani, while the real farmers in the rural settings continue to miss out,” he said.
The minister also suggested that PNG needs an agriculture bank to assist farmers, particularly those in rural areas.
“Farmers need their own bank which knows their business and can support them to improve and expand their agriculture business,” he said.
FARMIS (Fresh-Produce Advisory Resources Market Information Services) is a digital information service developed by the Research, Policy, Communication and Advisory Division of FPDA. It aims to provide easier access to essential farming information for rural farmers across PNG.
Visit the FARMIS website here