VPPA’s Sanma Provincial Officer, together with the Market Research & Business Advisor and Data Entry Officer, was recently in Santo to run the Sanma Provincial Forum meeting. The Sanma Provincial Forum was a 1-day event held in Luganville’s Ports & Harbour Building on 17th March 2026 and attended by 22 producers, 5 government staff, including Biosecurity, Forestry, VPPA, and 4 NBV officers. A total of 21 resolutions were taken from Sanma producers during the forum.

The team then moved to Malekula, where the Malampa Provincial Forum meeting was hosted at the Western Union conference room in Lakatoro on Monday 24th and Tuesday 25th March 2026. The Malampa Provincial Forum was attended by 17 producers and provincial staff from the Departments of Agriculture, Livestock, and Forestry, the Vanuatu Bureau of Standards, as well as the Public Works Department. A total of 23 resolutions were taken from Malampa producers during the forum.

Both forums were held as part of VPPA’s mandated activities, where provincial producers attend and raise issues that affect their businesses and agricultural activities in general. Resolutions are made for sectoral improvements, and elections are held to fill the Provincial representations to the National Forum Meetings and the Chairperson position to the VPPA Board.

The recently elected Chairpersons will serve on the VPPA Board for a 2-year term and may be re-elected for a second term. Mr. Sam Tas is Sanma’s new Chairman, with Mr. Patterson Worahese as Vice-Chair, and Grace Ella was elected as a member of the Sanma Provincial Executive. Mr. Nelson Niptick was re-elected as Malampa’s Chairman, Mr. Titus Bong as Vice-Chair, and Sandy Maki Haltong as member.