The Department of Livestock has announced that it will only work with farmers who are serious about improving livestock production, as the Government moves to cut support for those who fail to make proper use of assistance programs.
Speaking at the National Livestock Forum in Port Vila today, Director of Livestock, Mr. Lonny Bong, said the Government can no longer continue to provide subsidies and support without seeing real progress in the sector.
“Almost all our islands have received subsidies, but monitoring remains a key issue,” Mr. Bong said. “The Government cannot continue to follow the same system. Those who are serious about farming must come forward and commit to being part of the program. The data shows livestock numbers continue to decline despite the Government’s intervention, so maybe the strategy needs to change. We must find new ways to address these issues.”
During the forum, livestock farmers, officers, and stakeholders discussed key challenges affecting the industry and explored practical solutions to improve productivity.
Pig farmer from North Efate, Amos Kalo, suggested that the Government should design separate strategies for each livestock type.
“In the piggery sector, numbers are dropping. If possible, we need a specific strategy for piggery alone. If there’s no clear strategy for each sector, the numbers will keep going down,” he said.
Participants agreed that long-standing challenges such as land access and feed supply remain major barriers but expressed optimism that new findings and plans discussed at the forum could help deliver better outcomes.
The forum concluded with key recommendations to strengthen the livestock sector, including:
- Improving breeding and feed systems
- Opening better market access
- Building farmers’ capacity
- Strengthening livestock policies
- Making extension services more effective
Officials said that if these recommendations are properly implemented, they will help build a more sustainable and resilient livestock sector for the future of Vanuatu.
