The Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access (PHAMA) Program was one of five organisations that showcased in the PNG Parliament’s State room. PHAMA was also among business organisations that delivered presentations at the parliamentary induction on August 16, 2017.

PHAMA was represented by Jane Ravusiro, the program’s Senior National Coordinator in PNG.

PHAMA’s Senior National Coordinator in PNG, Jane Ravusiro addresses MPs during the PNG Parliament induction. (Photo used with permission from National Parliament of Papua New Guinea)

The program was invited to talk about the impact of industry working groups (IWGs), designed and introduced by the PHAMA program, in the agriculture and handicrafts industries and how these groups have helped build value chains and related product development capabilities in PNG.

The IWGs are groups comprising of representatives of the private and public sectors to jointly discuss market access issues and pave the way for commodity export opportunities.

Responding to the queries, Ravusiro offered the newly-inducted MPs a general rundown of PHAMA’s approach to industry facilitation and export market development. This includes:

• Developing and strengthening public-private partnerships;
• Informing and linking the private sector;
• Identifying and prioritising industry needs;
• Improving product standards and quality;
• Providing value-adding skills and technical assistance and;
• Commodity facilitation via buyer linkages.

“The true value of the IWGs and the partners we work with are its people,” Ravusiro said at the induction.

Photo used with permission from the National Parliament of Papua New Guinea.

PHAMA was also asked if smallholder growers were now more interested in pursuing value-adding opportunities for their products.

Ravusiro said, “Smallholders in some of the most isolated rural communities are now able to access global specialty and boutique markets for their value-added products and improved export quality or commodities.”

Also responding to the query of how IWGs could work closely with MPs, Ravusiro said the IWGs were a suitable entry point for districts and their agriculture and commodity initiatives and that building rapport with SMEs and Agribusinesses through the IWGs could be the starting point for PPPs and sustainable initiatives.

For further information, contact Sidney Suma at s.suma@phama.biz or on +675 7640 3290