The recently concluded APEC Food Security Week has been hailed as a success.
Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Benny Allan said he was happy with the overall success of Food Security Week which comprised of several agricultural meetings and the agriculture fisheries food exhibition.
The Minister thanked the Department of Agriculture and Livestock, National Fisheries Authority and ABAC for organizing the meetings and show that was well attended and witnessed by delegates from the APEC economies.
He also commended the participating agricultural commodity boards and agencies, agricultural industries, SMEs, farmer groups and other organizations that took part in the exhibition.
The exhibition provided an ideal opportunity for PNG companies, producers, exporters, farmers, processors and others in agriculture and fisheries sectors to showcase their activities and secure further possibilities in relation to attracting market access, investment, capital and others.
Allan said he was impressed with the level of participation and exhibitions which attracted a lot of interest during the week. He was pleased to note that many delegates took much interest in the various displays and were able to exchange information and discuss important issues with the PNG exhibitors.
Minister Allan said he was pleased that one of the APEC economies, Chinese Taipei, also arranged for a booth to display information on an APEC project on food losses and waste system.
The FSW is a significant event to promote and create awareness on the importance of food security and how the economies can work together to deal with food security concerns and issues and all related factors such as climate change.
“I am pleased that our farmers, companies, commodity boards and agencies, were able to achieve the desired outcomes of the APEC objectives and they can be able to secure capital, investment, market access, capacity building, technical skill upgrading and many others.”
“The exhibition focus on the displays of food products for trade, new farming innovation and technologies and information, and creates an opportunity for exhibitors at all levels to exchange ideas and information and establish further contacts to do business in trade and marketing of food products in agriculture and fisheries and other related food services.”
Minister Allan said food security is vital to everyone in this region and globally. It is important that ideas are developed and importantly, actions that will secure food and fisheries availability into the decades ahead.
