Prime Minister James Marape has made a strong call to action for Papua New Guinea’s agriculture sector, urging an immediate shift from subsistence farming to commercial agriculture as a mean of driving economic growth, job creation and national self-sufficiency. Mr. Marape underscored the urgent need to transform the agriculture sector into the backbone of PNG’s economy. He stressed that agriculture remains the most sustainable and inclusive path to national prosperity, given the country’s rich land, favorable climate and natural gas. The Prime Minister directed agriculture sector leaders to prioritize lands near ports and major road networks, ensuring that production areas are well-connected to markets. He urged all provincial and local level governments to identify suitable land for large-scale agriculture development. “Let us focus on areas that are well-connected by roads and ports, ensuring that we produce efficiently to both domestic and international markets,” Mr. Marape said. He outlined a clear and practical economic vision, stating that if one million families each earned a minimum of K10,000 annually from agriculture, the sector alone could contribute K10 billion to PNG’s economy. “A single bag of coffee sells for K700. If we help a farmer produce 10 to 20 bags per year, they can earn between K10,000 and K14,000 annually. Multiply that by one million families, and the economic impact is transformative,” he explained. Mr. Marape stressed that the focus must be on exportable crops such as coffee, cocoa, oil palm and spices, as well as livestock, fisheries and other high value agricultural products. He lamented that too many Papua New Guineans still operate at a basic survival level, depending on small-scale farming without access to market opportunities or financial support. “Many of our people are already planting taro, yam, cocoa, coconut and other crops, but they remain in subsistence mode. Our job is to migrate them into commercial farming by providing market access, price incentives, and freight support,” he said. PM Marape warned government departments and public servants that inefficiency and bureaucratic delays would no longer be tolerated.