The 2026 planning of the Livestock Department shows that the government will focus only on Serious Farmers and the new Island Focus Program.

During the planning sessions continuing this week, Director of Livestock Lonny Bong brought together all Provincial Principal Livestock Officers to present their plans according to the 2026 budget and priorities.

Acting Provincial Livestock Officer for Torba, Dudley Woksen, said the Island Focus Program will help deliver direct impact to the provinces.

Mr Woksen said support will go straight to areas with strong potential for growth.

“The Island Focus Program will help farmers shift from subsistence farming to moving up to semi-commercial and commercial levels to meet market demand and existing markets, and also to minimise imports from other countries.”

In terms of planning, discussions highlighted that all activities in 2026 must align with the budget to ensure government funds are spent wisely and lead to positive impact.

In Malampa Province, Acting Principal Livestock Officer Alick Donald Worworbu said the profiling of serious farmers has progressed this year. Based on that data, they will work closely with farmers in 2026.

“A way forward is to tackle and come up with a standard we can use, using their resources on the farm and their AA to carry out training or awareness, in recognising their diseases and addressing situations animals face on their farms.”

Acting Principal Livestock Officer for Sanma, Till Joses, said Sanma — as the lead province in cattle distribution — will work hard in 2026 to maintain this position and ensure support reaches other provinces as well.

“This is to prepare farmers to make sure the productivity of the cattle does not fall. It must be maintained so we can supply provinces in Vanuatu and meet local domestic demand in Sanma Province.”

Principal Livestock Officer for Penama, Douglas Williams, said the plans discussed during the week must be implemented.

“But we want to see how we can assist a farmer to move from level to level. For instance, activities we do can help farmers move from subsistence to commercial.”

In terms of Animal Health, officers stated it is one of the main factors for good production. Awareness and Human Resources are also major needs to ensure farmers across different areas gain knowledge and understanding of all processes to grow and care for their animals properly.