By Loretta B Manele

The overall focus of the 2025 budget for agriculture is to grow the economy by targeting quick turnover activities while building a diversified production base.

Franklyn Wasi, the minister for Agriculture and Livestock (MAL) said this during the debate on the 2025 Appropriation Bill 2024 in parliament on Monday.

He added that this focus is also to build a diversified production base at the same time ensuring food security safety and nutrition for our people.

Wasi explained that the quick turnover return on investment are; cocoa, coconut, kava and cassava.
Meanwhile, he said they anticipate an increase in cocoa and copra export from next year onwards due to the high international market price for cocoa and the establishment of the cocoa and copra revolving fund to support producers, buyers and exporters.

Moreover, Wasi expressed that in most rural areas in Solomon Islands there are many challenges such as the lack of infrastructure for production and harvest, limited access to finance and markets, lack of tools and equipment, poor extension services and adverse weather patterns and climate change.

On this note, he said the Government for National Unity and Transformation (GNUT) recognizes that addressing these challenges will grow the agriculture sector of our nation hence it has prioritised eight policies for the ministry to implement during its term.

Wasi stated that these policies include; rebuilding the ministry and its functions, policies and legislative reforms, strategic revitalisation of extension services, increase in the export of commodities and value-added products, diversification of the agricultural base, rebuilding the research capacity of the ministry, making agriculture attractive and protecting the fauna and flora while facilitating the access to markets.

He said the eight policy priorities allocated to the ministry for implementation during the tenure of GNUT aims to strengthen food security, enhance agriculture productivity and promote sustainable agriculture practices that improve rural livelihoods and contribute to the country’s economy.

Wasi noted that this includes supporting local farmers, encouraging modern farming techniques, increasing investment in agriculture and fostering partnerships to drive agribusiness development and resilience against climate change.