Support for research vital

By JAMES LARAKI
LAST week, we argued for agriculture to be prioritised as an enabler of growth and development among others that the government and other­ development partners have emphasised on.
We noted in that article that agriculture was not given the necessary support it deserves and a lack of investment over the years was of concern.
Lack of investment in the sector also affect agricultu­ral research and its ability to come up with innovations and technologies required.
The agriculture sector has faced many difficulties in recent years and has not fared well, except for one or two sub-sectors.
Official figures indicate the estimated growth of agriculture is well below expectations, affecting the rural population that depends exclusively on it for their livelihood.
It is no doubt that agriculture is the most important sector in the PNG economy because of its tremendous untapped potential, not only to ensure food security, improve cash income and better standard of living but also bring total prosperity and full development to the country.
It remains the main source of livelihood, employment and income for more than 80% of the population. This can be not disputed.
The question now is “how do we realise this untapped potential” to drive agricultural development.
We believe agricultural research and improved techno­logies based on scientific principles are the most important and critical agents in promoting agricultural development and overall socio-economic development.
This is highly relevant and significant in PNG because of the huge untapped potential for agricultural which is yet to be exploited.
While many forums and strategy papers over the years have clearly established that agricultural development is the key to socio-economic development, the support given for implementation have been disappointing.
Agricultural research institutions in the country are very young, much younger than the Independent State of PNG and they require ade­quate public investment that is consistent and sustainable over a long-term period.
The current annual public investment in agricultural research is K30 million, which is only 0.75% of agricultural GDP while the ideal rate is 2.0% (K80 million).
This explains the current gap and highlights the huge scope for increasing both public and private sector investments in agricultural re­search and innovations in PNG.
Studies in many countries, including PNG, have shown that agricultural research is a very attractive form of public investment and can give high rate of return.
Well-planned and well-supported agricultural research can contribute to improved farm productivity, efficiency, and sustainability which are considered to be at the heart of the entire process of agricultural transformation and development in PNG.
Therefore, PNG as a sove­reign nation must fulfil her role and obligation to strengthen and support the agricultural research institutions in the country for nurturing scientific knowledge and information.
This, we believe, will certainly lead the nation towards prosperity.
The national agricultural research system (NARS) organisations in PNG are making progress to prepare to focus more on improving delivery of outputs and farm level outcomes and impacts in line with the paradigm shift to agricultural research for development (ARD).
The ARD framework is aimed at making agricultural research more effective in creating positive develop­ment impact, especially smallholder farming and rural communities.
The ARD concept has gained wide acceptance internationally and looks to be a promising approach in improving rural livelihoods.
In PNG, the NARS organisations are much advanced in this process and are in a prime position to take the agriculture sector forward.
However, there are huge challenges ahead to make in-roads for ARD in PNG, requiring awareness and co-ope­ration from a wide diversity of actors in different sectors of the country.
While the PNG NARS re­cognise and value the pro­gress made to the agriculture sector in the past six years, they will continue to make available new and promi­sing agricultural technologies and innovations to the far­ming and rural communities in PNG.
The NARS organisations are developing ARD initiatives in collaboration with the other stakeholders and partners in the Pacific and regionally.
However, a recently deve­loped roadmap by the Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development highlights the overall need for increased investments not only by donors but also by national governments to meet the huge challenges ahead and ensure the required development returns from ARD.
And we note that this transformation is the responsibility of all those who care about the future of agriculture and its role in development. 
Changes are required in ARD systems globally, to address worldwide goals of reducing hunger and poverty, while ensuring environmental sustainability and meeting the needs of resource-poor farmers and consumers.
It establishes a process of reform and capacity development that aims to mobilise the full power of agricultural knowledge and innovation towards meeting agriculture and food-related development needs.
Efforts are being made to transform ARD globally, from its current fragmented status to more coherent and cohesive systems for greater impact.
Its goal is that agricultural knowledge, science and technology should play their fullest possible roles in removing poverty and hunger from the world.
This is what PNG should be aiming for in the coming years.
PNG, as a country, should work towards addressing the key challenges and opportunities facing agricultural research, technology generation, knowledge dissemination and delivery systems are prioritised and addressed.
It is appropriate that NARS organisations in PNG be gi­ven the necessary support to identify the changes required in research and innovation systems so that smallholder farmers and rural communities could benefit from sustainable growth and improvements that can increase their food security and incomes.
Given the necessary support, the NARS organisations are prepared to take up the challenge and looking forward to making their contribution to a “smart, wise, fair, healthy and happy society” come 2050.