Agriculture is PNG’s sleeping giant - Isifu

AGRICULTURE is Papua New Guinea’s sleeping giant but it has been underutilized and misunderstood for a long time.

Nicole Isifu, managing director of AgBook Agribusiness Training and Advisory Ltd, expressed this sentiment in a presentation to third year Agriculture students on Tuesday this week (Aug 31).

Ms Isifu said even though there is a large, growing agriculture market in the country, PNG continues to import billions of kina worth of agricultural products that it could produce  itself.

“People say agriculture is our nation’s backbone but where is agriculture today? We are still subsistence farmers and depending on mining... extractive industries... the sleeping giant is agriculture,” she said.

Ms Isifu said agriculture has long been misunderstood by many, especially young people.

“A lot of young people think that farming is just about spades, forks and bush knives but it’s not about that. It’s about busi ness. The land is more than just a garden,” she said.

“Agriculture can and will provide opportunities if we treat our farms like businesses. If we shift from subsistence to commercial farming, we open up more opportunities for our people especially our young people who are frustrated and resorting to criminal activities because there are not enough jobs and opportunities for them.”

She said this is the message that needs to reach farmers because farmers need to shift to commercial farming so that PNG can decrease its food imports and strengthen its economy.

“This is why agriculture graduates are very important. You are the future. The change needs to start with you. You are the ones who will be leading us. You are the ones who will be leading the agriculture sector,” she encouraged the students.

“Agriculture is not a dead-end career. It is a business. Get your priorities right. Get your education and go out there and help our community because every farming family deserves the knowledge to transform their farms.”

Many students were motivated by Ms Isifu’s presentation.

Mark Eddie, a third year Degree student said he was inspired to continue studying so that he can help the youths of his Milne Bay community when he graduates.

“I was motivated because she is young. I feel that I can also do the same and help my community, especially the youths.”

Ms Isifu’s presentation was under the Module A326 – Farm Business Projects for both diploma and degree students.

Head of the Department of Agriculture Peter Navus who thanked Ms Isifu for her talk, said she was invited to share her real life experiences of operating a farming business.

AgBook is a training and advisory services company that believes that by professionalising agriculture and introducing new technologies, agribusinesses will improve profitability, farmers will reap more benefit and youth will be attracted to the sector.

AgBook Managing Director Nicole Isifu (left) talks for third-year Degree student, Mark Eddie.