The Digital Farmer Registry is expected to improve how the Government records and manages information about farmers across Vanuatu.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) officially handed over the system to the Government on Tuesday, including its source code, mobile application, technical documentation and user manuals at no licence cost.

One registry for farmer information

Data Analytical Officer at the Vanuatu Primary Producers Authority, Nijela Avok, says the registry will provide a central system for farmer information and support the planning and delivery of agriculture services.

She says farmer data was previously recorded on paper and held across different agencies, making it more difficult to manage and use.

“The Digital Farmer Registry will be a foundation to support existing policies under the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Forestry, Fisheries and Biosecurity, such as the Island Focus Initiative and Farm to School or institutions programmes. Through the Digital Farmer Registry, we will be able to capture more information about our farmers, especially those involved in the Island Focus Initiative and other targets that have been set. We will be able to track and monitor their progress as they continue to update their information through to 2030, so we can report on the results of those targets.”

Avok says farmers will only need to register once and will receive a unique national Smart Farmer ID, giving them access to a range of Government services.

Connecting farmers to Government services

Avok says the registry will also help Government departments and institutions identify farmers and better target services to those who need them.

“When you register, the Government recognises you, and we will be able to reach out to you through the targeted services the Government has established. Departments and Government institutions can come forward, and we can share the data so they can better target services to farmers who need them.”

She says the new system will support the transition away from previous data collection methods and increase the use of technology in agriculture.

“I feel that with this transition from our previous data collection systems to this new system, it will help our farmers, particularly by allowing us to make better use of technology to improve our farming activities.”

Designed for remote areas

The system can operate through both mobile and web applications and can also work without an internet connection.

This will allow agriculture officers to register and update farmer information while working in remote areas.

By keeping farmer information in one central registry, the system is expected to make it easier for Government to use the data when planning and delivering agriculture services.

Who will manage the system?

The Ministry of Agriculture will own the system and its data, while the Department of Communication and Digital Transformation will host the system on Government servers.

The handover provides the Government with the technical components needed to operate and maintain the Digital Farmer Registry as a central platform for farmer information and agriculture service planning.