Eastern Highlands Agricultural Society Secretary, Solepa Aganisafa said the next government formed after the 2022 National General Elections must make agriculture its top priority.
He said in the last term of Parliament, though there were two governments, agriculture was not a priority and it has been the same with successive governments past and present.
Aganisafa said there have been lost opportunities and misplacement of resources due to bureaucratic red tape in the past, yet the agriculture sector continues to sustain the bulk of our 10 million plus people, who live off the land.
He said, “Our country is blessed with all the natural resources but our social and economic indicators show otherwise that we are still struggling. We do not even have a welfare system in place for our citizens despite all mining and LNG projects coming on.
“Therefore, agriculture is still our safety net and sustainer of our economy.”
Aganisafa said he is concerned about the growing unemployment rate and that many people were reluctant to work on the land, instead they want free education, donations from the government and their elected leaders to pay for hauskrai, brideprice and compensation.
“We have created a "Cargo Cult" generation and mentality and that is detrimental to the wellbeing and progress of our country.
