Ongoing and committed partnerships between government agencies is a way forward to transform the agriculture sector.
This is in the case of initiatives being undertaken to develop idle and unused State land for agriculture development purposes.
The partnership between the Department of Agriculture and Livestock and the Cocoa Board, supported by key agencies such as the Department of Lands and Physical Planning and other stakeholders in utilizing undeveloped land in Kokopo, East New Britain Province, for cocoa development is one good example.
In the case of the portion of land, section 39 allotments 41 and 42, about 5ha at Kenabot, the Acting Secretary of Lands & Physical Planning, Terry Wanga, last week gave the approval for the Reservation Right to be relinquished to Cocoa Board from DAL based on the current understanding reached between the two organizations.
This was witnessed by acting CEO of Cocoa Board Dr Arnold Parapi and senior officials of Cocoa Board and DAL.
The Reservation Right will be formalised for Cocoa Board this week, paving the way for the Certificate Authorising Occupancy (CAO) and Land Title to be transferred to Cocoa Board to develop the 5ha of land for cocoa.
A Memorandum of Agreement to formalize the arrangement will be signed in April.
Dr Parapi, and his team were full of praises for Minister for Agriculture and Livestock, Tommy Assik Tomscoll for his vision to promote such partnership in terms of securing the future of young generation of farmers in the cocoa sector through such initiatives.
Furthermore, the Cocoa Board acknowledged the vision of DAL through the initiative of Secretary, Dr Vele Pat IIa’ava that will pave the way for the idle and unused state land to be used for development purposes.
Such initiatives are a positive step forward and establishing effective partnerships in unlocking land for cocoa or any other agriculture crop development in PNG.
The Cocoa Board, in partnership with DAL, and International development partners will be involved in the establishment and development of prescribed land for cocoa development within the framework of the National SME Policy.
Furthermore, Minister of Lands and Physical Planning, Benny Allen has also been supportive with this undertaking and would like to see such development of cocoa in the region to help assist the farmers.
Picture source: Leonard Fong Roka