Fund support for farmers ready

AGRICULTURE and Livestock Minister John Simon has advised farmers to visit their Department of Agriculture and Livestock (DAL) and Commodity Boards offices in the districts regarding agriculture support.
Simon also urged MPs to use the K1 million under their district service improvement programme funds and provincial service improvement programme funds for agriculture interventions.
“All districts and provinces have been encouraged to establish buying points for their commodity crops,” he said.
“The Government has allocated funding to districts for agriculture purposes.
That includes DSIP, PSIP of K2 million and the K1 million Coronavirus (Covid-19) fund for agriculture interventions.
“MPs should use this funding to set up buying points at the district level.
“Commodity boards are sector agencies of the department of Agriculture and livestock.”
Simon said DAL head office in Waigani only looked after policies and plans.
“Evaluation and monitoring is done at the district and provincial level,” he said.
“This major issue of disconnections must be implemented through appropriate legislative amendments or government direction so that the sector is aligned at all levels for effective policy implementation. A well-coordinated development pathway carved out for the agriculture sector would trigger economic prosperity for our people.”
Simon said the implementers of projects were the commodity boards.
“We as a sector must assert that our business is to mobilise and empower rural people to participate in the development process,” he said.
“The most important people are in the rural areas who will benefit from what we do.
“The Government is determined to review legislative arrangements, institute policy reforms to redefine policy guidelines, roles, functions, and priorities, and review organisational and expenditure performance of all bodies and entities in the agriculture sector to bring them under better scrutiny in order to achieve higher operational, efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery.”