The National Agriculture Sector Plan (NASP) 2024–2033, launched by Prime Minister James Marape and led by Minister for Agriculture, Hon. John Boito, marks a transformative roadmap to shift Papua New Guinea’s agriculture sector from subsistence to commercial enterprise. This 10-year strategic plan aims to boost the sector’s contribution to K30 billion by 2030, aligning with the government’s broader goal of a K200 billion economy and the creation of one million jobs. With a strong focus on commercialisation, value-adding, and downstream processing, NASP is set to unlock tangible economic opportunities across rural communities.

Developed through consultations with stakeholders, NASP outlines thirteen Agriculture Priority Areas (APAs), including productivity, market access, research, climate-smart practices, and biosecurity. They are delivered through five core pillars: commodity commercialisation, infrastructure development, governance reform, research and development, and private sector participation. The plan’s success hinges on collaboration among government levels, commodity boards, development partners, investors, and farmers, all working together to revitalise PNG’s agriculture as a key engine of national growth.

Partnerships and Plans

Some of NASP achievements and plans;

• Negotiated an additional US $350 million extension to the World Bank’s PACD Project for agricultural development.
• Strengthened collaborations with international partners like Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Iinternational Fund for Agricultural Development, and Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, especially around support for soil mapping and market systems.
• A plan for developing a Program Management Coordination Unit, a dedicated NASP Secretariatwas outlined. Including an ambitious funding allocation across phases (K3.5 billion in Phase 1,6 billion in Phase 2, and K8 billion in concessional loans), with all resources overseen via an Agriculture Industry Corporation.

Safeguarding Agri‑Commerce: The Biosecurity Bill 2025

One of the major bills passed and championed by Minister Boito, is the Biosecurity Bill 2025, consolidating and modernizing antiquated statutes into a single framework. Establishing Biosecurity PNG and replacing National Agricultural Quarantine and Inspection Authority and aligning PNG with global sanitary and phytosanitary standards. This milestone not only protects local biodiversity but lays the groundwork for exporting high-value commodities like coffee, cocoa, vanilla, and palm oil to markets in China, Japan, Korea, and beyond.

Empowering Farmers Through Training and Infrastructure

In December 2024, Minister Boito inaugurated the Fabian Chow Training Centre in Kainantu, Eastern Highlands with the kind investment of K17 million from Australia. This initiative equipped with a tissue culture lab and training facilities will further enhance knowledge and capabilities of the locals.

At the “Hand in Hand Initiative” conference, October 2024 in Rome, a major international development platform that help countries align its agriculture, food security, and rural development goals with global investment and technical support. Hon. Boito secured USD $60 million (K240 million) from the Asia Development Bank to establish national horticultural markets, crucial for transporting fresh produce and connecting remote farmers to broader markets. He also presented three flagship investment proposals; Cocoa sector revitalization, Vanilla market development and Coconut industry transformation. These sectors have real potential in exports, rural employment and climate resilience.

In a breakthrough move to revive the long-stalled rice industry, Minister Boito oversaw a collaboration between NARI and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). The memorandum aims to move beyond dialogue to real, sustainable rice cultivation and productivity.

At the National Agriculture PPP Conference in April 2025, Hon. Boito urged rural farmers, commodity boards, investors and development partners to forge cooperative systems that leverage expertise, investment, and innovation. This move allows for economies scale and offer a more competitive price in the market.