Alex Agiwa, the national seed and planting material (SPM) program manager at the Fresh Produce Development Agency (FPDA), has highlighted the necessity for a horticulture seed center in Papua New Guinea. "The setup of this seed bank will ensure that there is consistent and sustainable production of horticultural crops (fruits, nuts, and vegetables) to meet market demands locally and abroad," he stated.
FPDA was established to advance the nation's horticulture industry. Agiwa noted, "FPDA has initiated and established the SPM program due to the increasing need for seed of horticultural crops." The SPM program received government funding from 2014 to 2016 as an impact project.
According to Agiwa, the program's implementation relied on facilitation and partnerships for making seed and vegetative materials accessible to farmers, which he described as inadequate. He remarked, "This was not right as the qualified elites were working within the agency (FPDA) to take the lead in the establishment of the Horticultural Seed Centre (HSC)."
The program manager asserts that FPDA should lead the establishment of the HSC, as well as the import and export of improved seed sources globally. Agiwa emphasized the need to start with elite seed potatoes and open-pollinated seed crops, including corn, beans, and legumes.
Source: Post-Courier