Port Vila, Vanuatu | 29 September 2026
The Government of the Republic of Vanuatu officially took ownership of the Vanuatu Digital Farmer Registry (DFR) following its formal handover by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) during a ceremony held at Holiday Inn, Port Vila, on 29 September 2026.
The Digital Farmer Registry was developed under the regional FAO Technical Cooperation Programme project TCP/SAP/3909 – “Catalyzing Agrifood Systems through Digitalization”, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Forestry and Biosecurity (MALFB) and the Vanuatu Primary Producers Authority (VPPA).
The handover marked a major milestone in Vanuatu’s agricultural digital transformation, transitioning the Registry from project-supported development to national ownership and Government-led operation.
Strengthening Digital Public Infrastructure for Agriculture
The Digital Farmer Registry was developed as an important component of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for Vanuatu’s agriculture sector, providing a nationally owned digital platform for registering farmers and maintaining reliable farmer information.
The Registry was designed to strengthen the Government’s ability to use farmer data for agricultural planning, policy implementation and the delivery of programmes and services across the country.
Under the Government operating model established for the Registry, MALFB assumed ownership of the system and its data, VPPA took responsibility for the day-to-day operation and management of the Registry, while the Department of Communication and Digital Transformation (DCDT) was designated to host the platform on Government infrastructure. The arrangement strengthened national ownership and data sovereignty while establishing a sustainable institutional framework for the long-term management of the Registry.
Formal Transfer to the Government of Vanuatu
A key moment during the ceremony was the formal signing of the Property Transfer Form, which transferred the Digital Farmer Registry to the Government of the Republic of Vanuatu.
The handover included the system’s source code, mobile application, technical documentation and user manuals, providing the Government with the resources required to operate, maintain and further develop the platform.
The transfer placed the Registry under national ownership and provided Government institutions with greater responsibility for its future operation, administration and development.
Designed specifically for Vanuatu’s geographical context, the Registry incorporated web, mobile and offline capabilities, allowing authorised officers to register farmers and collect information in communities where internet connectivity was limited or unavailable.
One Registration, Multiple Government Services
The Digital Farmer Registry established a common digital foundation that could support multiple Government programmes and services across the agriculture sector.
Through the Registry, farmer information could be used to strengthen agricultural planning, extension services, market linkages, disaster response, climate and early-warning initiatives, food security programmes, and the targeting of agricultural assistance.
The Registry was also positioned to support key national priorities, including the Island Focus Initiative and the Farm to Public Institutions Programme, by providing more reliable information to identify farmers, understand production activities and improve the targeting of Government support.
This approach reflected the principle of registering farmers once while enabling their information to support multiple authorised Government programmes and services.
From System Development to National Ownership
Before reaching the handover milestone, the Digital Farmer Registry progressed through several stages of development and preparation, including system development, user acceptance testing, deployment preparation and Training of Trainers.
These activities helped prepare Government officers, administrators, enumerators and other stakeholders for the transition to national ownership and implementation of the Registry.
Following the handover, the Government outlined the next phase of work, which included Government hosting, data migration and verification, field implementation, and the progressive expansion of farmer registration across Vanuatu.
The official handover marked a significant milestone in Vanuatu’s agricultural digital transformation and established a nationally owned digital foundation to strengthen farmer services, improve agricultural information and support more evidence-based planning and decision-making across the agriculture sector.