Department of Agriculture and Livestock

The development of an Agriculture Management Information System (AMIS) for the Department of Agriculture and Livestock (DAL) is now into its advance stage, according to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). 

ITU Asia-Pacific Regional Programme Director, Ashish Narayan, said the AMIS will become a useful management tool for DAL in generating relevant and timely data and information on agriculture and livestock. Narayan said such a tool, as a one-stop knowledge hub, will be able to provide data-driven insights and decision-making support for enhanced food security, improved livelihoods, and enhanced sustainable development.

Narayan and a team of ITU officials met with DAL Secretary, Dr Sergie Bang, and his senior management team in Port Moresby on October 5 2024 to discuss the progress of the online system and to fast-track the process of data inputting in view of the project’s approaching deadline. They also discussed other pipeline projects and collaborations for PNG agriculture, including an agricultural meteorological system being developed with the National Weather Service for agro-met advisories. 

Dr Bang commended ITU for the partnership, adding that DAL and the sector truly embrace the potential and advances in ICT for a transformed PNG agriculture. He said the AMIS will be crucial in resource management, monitoring and evaluation, and decision making. He also noted that the integration of suitable ICT-enabled systems and services will efficiently support the delivery of programs and projects across the sector, including the implementation of the recently released National Agriculture Sector Plan (2024-2033).

According to the ITU PNG Project Officer, Kanagat Alyshbaev, the AMIS system will be user-friendly, and is tailored to DAL’s requirements with the capability to generate various outputs. Alyshbaev said the system was already developed as approved by DAL with current efforts focusing on refinements and entry of data, adding that they are targeting to complete the project and hand-over the system to DAL before the end of this year. 

According to the AMIS terms of reference, the essence is to establish an online AMIS for PNG that is focused on strengthening the management ability of DAL as well as the sector agencies and line departments to effectively respond to the development needs at national and community levels.

The AMIS project is initiated under the European Union funded ‘Support to Rural Entrepreneurship, Investment and Trade in Papua New Guinea Programme’ for the Sepik region. ITU is a partner in this programme, which is led by United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation.  

The AMIS’s main benefits are to:

1. track and analyze farm data (like yield and resource usage) to identify areas for improvement; this data can be used to optimize resource allocation, improve crop selection, and implement more efficient farming practices;
2. track and monitor environmental impacts of agricultural activities, such as water usage and greenhouse gas emissions; this data can be used to develop and implement sustainable practices that protect the environment and ensure long-term farm viability;
3. provide data on food production, consumption, and distribution patterns; helping governments and organizations to identify areas of food insecurity and develop targeted interventions;
4. help policy makers allocate resources, such as subsidies and extension services, more effectively by targeting them to areas where they are most needed;
5. provide data and analysis to support the development of evidence-based agricultural policies that promote sustainable growth and development; 
6. track and analyze agricultural market trends, helping governments and businesses to make informed decisions about trade, investment, and food security;
7. centralize and standardize data across different sub-departments, ensuring consistent and reliable information and automate manual tasks, streamline workflows, and improve decision-making with real-time data insights; and 
8. centralize and standardize data across different sub-departments, ensuring consistent and reliable information and automate manual tasks, streamline workflows, and improve decision-making with real-time data insights.