The United Nations-led STREIT program, held a workshop in Vanimo, Sandaun Province, to train and develop the capacity of governmental agri-business extension services.
The program is especially helping women and youth in rural areas to venture into agribusinesses.
The program focuses on increasing economic development of rural areas, is the largest European Union-funded grant in the Pacific region.
Program Coordinator for EU-STREIT PNG, Dr Xuebing Sun, highlighted how the program supports the Government in addressing the agribusiness development obstacles in the Sepik.
"The root problem is lack of proper skills and knowledge in managing sustainable businesses," said Dr Sun.
"The intention here is to minimize high rate of business failure in rural areas, encourage youths to start-up profitable businesses at a young age, thus contribute meaningfully to rural economic development in the Sepik, and PNG as a whole,” he added.
Conducted in partnership with the Wewak Small Enterprise Promotion Centre (WSEP), the program gathered 32 government agents from 10 districts in the Greater Sepik Region, including 12 women and 20 men.
The formation of a Greater Sepik Secretariat was a key output of the endeavor and will liaise with WSEP and the EU-STREIT PNG Program to roll out all business upscale-training in selected districts of the Sepik Region.
Sandaun Provincial Administrator, Conrad Tilau and his Commerce Director Ian Tonte, called on the program to extend a similar partnership to West Sepik Commerce, to utilize and upscale their business development officers.
Photo credit: FAO