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BACKGROUND

Purpose and Vision

The purpose of the Ministry of Agriculture is two-fold:

enact all agricultural legislation pertaining to the export and import of plants and plant products, animals and animal products, so as to maximise the contribution of the sector to the country’s economic development while at the same time safeguarding its fragile environment from the intrusion of unwanted pests and diseases; and
implement Government policy relating to agriculture sector development under its economic sustainability goal.

The Ministry’s vision is for the country to be self sufficient in food and livestock production to the extent possible, and to be relatively free of serious plant and animal pests and diseases.

Download - National Agriculture Strategic Plan

Stakeholders	Benefits
Individual farmers Organisation farmers	Technical advice on plant and animal pests and diseases, production and management options and risk reduction strategies
Agricultural marketing agents Airline and shipping agents	Advisory services, quality standards, quarantine certification of exports
Importers & exporters	Quarantine clearance of imports and certification of exports
International development partners	Mainly SPC and FAO, major sponsors of a number of projects and programmes on pest and disease management, crop improvement, disaster assistance, livestock development, and manpower upskilling.
Government agencies: mainly Health, Environment, Education, Customs, Outer Islands Administrations, Marine Resources, and Police.	Joint programmes in areas of common interest, e.g. Education (agriculture curriculum and practical sessions, career’s day/Expo), Environment (projects related to biodiversity and bio-safety, chemicals management, movement and disposal), Customs (biosecurity and border control operations), Marine Resources and Health (codex and food standards)
Population and Visitors	Information on all aspects of agriculture, with special emphasis on quarantine risks associated with personal and commercial imports and exports, prevention of intrusion of unwanted pests and diseases.

Operating Environment

The main factors affecting Agriculture include; weather, international trade and the associated movement of both cargo and travellers, pests and diseases, and technological advances. This means economic, social and environmental considerations all affect Agriculture in some way. First, extreme weather conditions adversely impact on agriculture’s performance in terms of production for both the local and export markets, hence the sector’s contribution to the national economy. With the more unpredictable weather that we have today than in the past, a key challenge is to have in place a policy environment that aims to minimise the adverse impacts while at the same time promote increased production levels for food security (home consumption), local sales and export.

With international trade and the associated movement of both cargo and travellers, the country’s biosecurity is a lot more at risk today than at anytime in the past. Movement of pests and diseases across international borders are greatly enhanced with increased movement of vessels (ships, cargo, yachts, planes) and travellers. Based on past trends, such movements are expected to increase further, thus posing even more risks to the local rural environment. More pests and diseases mean the ability of local production to keep up with demand is greatly compromised. A key challenge is therefore to ensure high standards of biosecurity measures to counter the impeding threats. Both local and international resources have been mobilised in the past to address such threats. Continuation and enhancement of this policy is going to be the order of the day.

Technological advances in agriculture on the international front aimed at increasing productivity in both horticulture and livestock are on-going and increasing, and have had positive impacts on food and livestock production; improved or high yielding crop varieties, pest & disease tolerant & resistant crop varieties, faster-growing animal breeds thus cutting feeding and management costs, better or more environment-friendly chemicals, biological control of pests and diseases, organic agriculture, organic fertiliser, etc. The most likely trend is for these technological advances to continue. A key challenge is therefore to capitalise on and maximise the adoption of such advances for the benefit of the farming community and the economy as a whole.

STRATEGY

SWOT Analysis

The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) of the Ministry of Agriculture are as follows:

Strenths
Status	Initiatives
Have qualified and experienced technical staff in crop and livestock production and management, pest management, project planning and biosecurity; this has led to Ministry staff serving on many working committees both in the country and abroad.	Encourage staff to further their capabilities through both short and long-term training, as well as actively participate in the deliberations of those committees that they are on.
Is able to access bilateral and multilateral agencies for financial and technical assistance to supplement local resources.	Maximise the benefits achieved through such networks by taking advantage of offers of assistance provided and promptly responding to requests for information.
Committed staff.	Appropriate staff compensation; full implementation of the job sizing exercise and adjust staff salaries in accordance with the cost of living, level of performance and years of service.
Reporting requirements are always on time, e.g. annual and 6-monthly reports, monthly financial reports, reports to funding agencies after each workshop, and project reports after completion of each project.	Continue doing this, and more importantly, encourage lower-level staff start to start preparing and learning to undertake these responsibilities when those doing them now move on later.
Weakness
Qualified staff leaving for better opportunities elsewhere in the country and overseas.	Appropriate adjustment of salary levels, staff promotion, increase or delegate responsibilities.
Pool of future qualified staff at risk due to drastically reduced long-term scholarship awards available to agriculture.	Seek to increase awards earmarked for agriculture through discussions with HRD and others.
Inability to implement all scheduled programmes due to insufficient resources.	Prioritise programmes; clearly explain to the clients why some programmes cannot be carried out; explore outside funding.
Insufficient market information service.	Maximise the use of outside providers of such information, prioritise programmes, seek additional outside funding.
Reduced level of extension service and collection of agricultural statistics due to insufficient and irregular funding.	Maximise the use of outside providers of such information, prioritise programmes, seek additional outside funding.
Opportunity
Growing domestic food market with growing tourism, implying increased role by Ministry in facilitating the expansion of crop and livestock production to meet this increased demand.	Strengthen the Ministry’s information dissemination role through local and funded resource allocation.
Readily available technical assistance through its established linkages with international agencies in areas related to the Ministry’s duties and responsibilities.	Maximise the benefits achieved through such linkages by taking advantage of offers of assistance provided.
Readily available short-term training programmes for staff up-skilling, both locally and overseas.	Maximise the benefits achieved through such programmes by assigning staff (including farmers) to take up the offers whenever they become available.
Threat
Qualified staff turn over.	Appropriate adjustment of salary levels, staff promotion, increase or delegate responsibilities.
Decline in the farming population.	Continue promoting agriculture at all levels (schools, communities) as a way of life, hobby and business.
Natural disasters which can drain the Ministry’s resources.	This is probably a national responsibility in terms of Government ensuring that its contingency reserve fund is regularly topped up and sustained to minimize the effects of natural calamities.
Political interference	Clearly explain the consequences which may help minimise such interferences. Politicians themselves will have to do their part as well – by minimizing undesirable interferences.
Increased quarantine risks (intrusion of undesirable pests) associated with expanded tourism, trade, and travel.	Need to continuously strengthen the Ministry’s capabilities in border control activities, export certification and import clearance. SPC and FAO have both been very helpful towards this end over many years. Currently, SPC is sponsoring an overhaul of the country’s biosecurity legislation.
Declining prime agriculture land, especially on Rarotonga, due to housing construction, etc.	Emphasis on the other southern islands to fill the gap, intensive farming systems.
Advances in agricultural technology may be hampered by the land problem currently being faced by the research division of the Ministry.	Working with FAO to relocate the research station to Mauke.