On Friday, March 14, 2025, the Vanuatu Primary Producers Authority (VPPA) was pleased to welcome Cabinet members from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Forestry, Fisheries, and Biosecurity (MALFBB).
The delegation consisted of the Minister’s Political Advisors (1st, 2nd, and 3rd) and a driver, making a total of 12 participants. In the absence of the CEO, the Administrative Manager warmly welcomed the delegation with an opening prayer before providing an overview of VPPA’s roles and functions.
Two presentations were delivered during the visit. The first, by the Data Analytical Officer, provided insights into VPPA’s current database, showcasing total registrations per province, per island, and by product category—from the most to the least exported. The discussion raised key questions about the registration system, fees, processes, and data verification. This underscored the importance of maintaining an updated database and software system to efficiently provide accurate information to users. The database will also serve as a marketing tool for buyers worldwide through VPPA’s website.
The second presentation highlighted VPPA’s achievements in 2024 and ongoing projects for 2025. Key milestones included three provincial forums held in Sanma, Malampa, and Shefa, as well as a partnership with PHAMA Plus to support cacao farmers in value-adding their cacao into chocolate—a project benefiting 13 farmers so far. VPPA also facilitated the sale of various fresh products, including tomatoes, Tahitian limes, black pepper, honey, and sweet-sour chili.
Another major achievement was the dissemination of 142 resolutions to 21 responsible agencies. Progress was also made on amendments to the VPPA Act, including the addition of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to the VPPA Board and the introduction of provincial forums every two years. Additionally, business plan templates and farmer profiling tools were developed to help farmers expand their operations. VPPA confirmed that in 2025, officers will be deployed to all provinces to further support primary producers.