NEW DAWN ON BOUGAINVILLE

Pictured here is PNG Managing Director National Agriculture Quarantine and Inspection Authority, ANDREW YAMANEA,MBE planting another coconut.
Picture by AL

270912tree Planting
By Aloysius Laukai

Heads of Agriculture and Forestry Services and Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry this morning planted fruit trees at a village near Nadi as part of their program.
Pictured is DR.RUTH TURIA Director Policy and Planning at the PNG Forest Authority planting a coconut tree this morning

Picture of the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Tommy Tomscoll visiting Nawaicoba sheep research station near Nadi. He is with staff of the station and PNG officials.

Pacific island countries call for more support
By Soldier Buruka in Nadi

Pacific island countries and territories participating in the fifth Regional Meeting of Heads of Agriculture and Forestry Services have highlighted a range of cross-cutting and thematic issues, challenges and opportunities.

These were contained in their country reports presented by member delegations highlighting achievements since last HOAFS meeting, challenges faced by members, national priorities in the next five years, and assistance from Secretariat of the Pacific Community in achieving those objectives.

In their reports, the countries expressed the need to make food security and healthy food choices remain as key issues and priorities for the region, given population trends and changes in lifestyle among Pacific island people.

They mentioned the need to recognize traditional knowledge of agricultural practices in addressing food security especially in postharvest processing and developing value-added products.

The importance of youth and women in agriculture and forestry in developing Pacific island social and economic activity that promotes, respects and preserves Pacific identity, culture and way of life, was emphasized.

The country reports also stated the increasing negative impacts of climate change on vulnerable Pacific communities and requested SPC to continue collaborating with partners to assist its members to assess climate change risks and implement adaptation and mitigation strategies.

It stated that organic food production as beneficial to human health and the environment as well as providing livelihood opportunities and encourages members to develop national policies to promote organic production of food and other crops.

The reports mentioned the need for enhanced biosecurity to protect national borders from the introduction and spread of pests and diseases in favour of agro-biodiversity.

The significance of strengthening national and regional research capacity and taking into consideration the specific needs of members was highlighted.

The reports also highlighted the significant contribution of forests and trees and agroforestry systems for sustainable natural resource management and sustaining Pacific cultures, economies and livelihoods.

Finally, the reports spoke of the challenges in land mobilisation and access to support sustainable agriculture and forestry development and requested the SPC for technical assistance to help members address these challenges.

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HOAFS meeting in Fiji ends on high note
By Soldier Buruka in Nadi

The fifth Regional Meeting of Heads of Agriculture and Forestry Services (HOAFS) held over three days in Fiji ended successfully on Wednesday. (26/9)

Participants from more than 22 member countries and territories of the Pacific community, development and donor partners, regional and international organisations and public and private bodies, attended the meeting in Nadi.

Managing Director for PNG Forest Authority, Mr Kanawi Pouru, who chaired the meeting, thanked all the delegates for their valuable contributions to a successful meeting. He expressed his appreciation to the Secretariat of the Pacific Community and Government of Fiji for their excellent organisation and hospitality extended to visiting officials and the meeting arrangements. He also expressed his appreciation to development and donor partners and regional and international organisations for the support provided to members.

Mr Pouru said although the meeting agreed that future HOAFS meetings be held either in Fiji or New Caledonia, he was hopeful that PNG can be given another opportunity to host a meeting. He expressed regret that PNG was unable to host the meeting this year due to the general elections and other issues. Solomon Islands has been appointed to be the chair of the next HOAFS meeting.

Mr Pouru said that the HOAFS meeting made a number of recommendations which will be discussed at the Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry (MOAF) meeting on Friday. (28/9) The HOAFS meeting discussed and came up with recommendations considered to be relevant and in the best interest of agriculture and forestry development in the Pacific region.

The formal opening of the Minister’s meeting is scheduled to take place at an agricultural research station in Nadi Thursday evening. (27/8) The SPC and Government of Fiji have prepared a special programme to welcome the Ministers from the Pacific region.

PNG’s Minister for Agriculture and Livestock, Hon. Tommy Tomscoll, will be handed the chairmanship of the MOAF meeting by his counterpart from Samoa. Hon. Tomscoll will chair the meeting on Friday.

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Chief Guest speaker retired Colonel SAMUELA SAUMATUA, Minister of Local Government Housing Development and Acting Minister for Primary Industry officially opened the meeting.

Some more pics

PNG part of new EU project on policy programme
By Soldier Buruka in Nadi

Papua New Guinea is among 14 Pacific Island countries most likely to benefit from the European Union-funded Pacific Agricultural Policy Programme (PAPP).

The new project is to be implemented by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community Land Resources Division. The total budget for PAPP is Euro 8.6 million.

The overall objective of the programme is to enhance the regional capabilities of the Pacific’s agriculture sector in eradicating poverty. The specific objective is to increase the capability of Regional Agricultural Development Organisations of the Pacific to address the development needs of smallholder agriculture, by improving the linkages between smallholder farmers, micro, small and medium enterprises and markets.

PAPP’s three main results will be, strengthening regional agricultural development strategy, improve the dissemination and adoption of applied agricultural production research technologies, and contribute to agricultural enterprise development through improved market linkages.

The fifth Regional Meeting of Heads of Agriculture and Forestry Services in Fiji this week approved the project. It is expected to be formally endorsed at the third Regional Meeting of the Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry on Friday.

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250912New agriculture and forestry initiatives for the Pacific
By Soldier Buruka in Nadi

The fifth Regional Meeting of the Heads of Agriculture and Forestry Services (HOAFS) has approved several new initiatives aimed at improving agriculture and forestry development in the Pacific region.

These initiatives are expected to be endorsed when the third Regional Meeting of the Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry Services convenes on Friday.

The administrative heads of agriculture and forestry services representing over 22 Pacific Island countries and territories this week agreed these initiatives must be supported to bring benefits to the region.

The initiatives includes, ACIAR funded Strengthening Integrated Crop Management Research in the Pacific, AusAid International Climate Change Adaptation Initiative phase 2, Development of advanced veneer and other product from coconut wood to enhance livelihoods in Pacific communities, USA funded vegetation and land cover mapping and improving food security for building resilience to a changing climate in the Pacific Island communities, FAO funded Agriculture Technical Cooperation Program on pesticide alternatives, French Pacific Fund funded “How an indigenous vegetable can contribute to sustainable development”, the EU funded Improvement of key Services to Agriculture in the sugar sector in Fiji, and the EDF 10 Pacific Agriculture Policy Project.

New initiatives planned for 2013, include the IFAD funded Organic Agriculture Project, establishment of the Centre for Excellence for Atoll Agriculture for Marshall Island and the continuation of the Centre for Atoll Agriculture in Kiribati and the support for the development of soil schools.

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260912 FIFTH REGIONAL MEETING
By Aloysius Laukai

The fifth Regional meeting of Heads of Agriculture and Forestry Services in the Pacific started on Monday with many deliberations and because Iam covering this session with two other reporters from PNG I have allowed their stories to come on the New Dawn FM site so that we cover this very important meeting. AL
The Ministers will meet this Friday.
More pics on the meeting