Country has food basket potential: PM

PRIME Minister James Marape has called attention to Papua New Guinea’s abundant arable land and its “food basket” potential while inviting partnerships for its development to support world and regional food security.
Marape said this during a speech at the 76th United Nations General in New York last Friday.
While touching on agriculture, Marape highlighted his government’s efforts to invest in agriculture because of the country’s large rural-based, subsistence-dependent economy.
“My country, with its arable and abundant land, has the potential to serve as a food basket for the Asia-Pacific and beyond, particularly at a time when food security around the world is being threatened by the ravages of climate change,” he said.
“We, therefore, welcome multi-stakeholder partnerships and investment to transform our organic food systems to support and address the global challenges relating to hunger, poverty, malnutrition, food security that fosters better health outcomes for our people and communities to deliver on the SDGs (sustainable development goals).”
Marape said it was his government’s intention to transform the agriculture sector into a reliable commercial and sustainable food system that would address food security and climate resilience.