vanuatu policy bank header

The Vanuatu Agriculture Policy Bank

The Vanuatu Agriculture Sector Policy was released in June 2015 and outlines how the Government will help bring about sustainable development in the Vanuatu agriculture sector over the next 15 years.

Vanuatu has a population of 234, 000 people across 80 islands. The population is rising but the number of households engaging in cash crop agriculture is going down as more people move to urban areas.

In Vanuatu, 80% of the population depends entirely on subsistence agriculture for their daily sustenance and well-being. The other 20% of the population are based in urban areas but still rely on the agricultural products from market centres.

Vanuatu’s total land area is 1,223,178 hectares of which only 492,177 hectares is good agricultural land. This is only 40% of the land area of the whole country, or 10.4 hectares per household.

More than 90% of the land is customarily held land while about 10% is Government owned or leased land.

Nonetheless, only one third of the cultivable customary land area is presently being farmed.

Agriculture is very important to Vanuatu’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP – the value of all of all the goods and services produced in a country.) 75% of the Primary Sector contribution to GDP comes from Agriculture, 15% of overall GDP.

  • KEY POLICIES

    This plan builds on the progress made and lessons learned under the Priorities and Action Agenda, which guided our national development efforts between 2006 and 2015, and the Millennium Development Goals, which also expired in 2015.

    Prepared by: Vanuatu Department of Agriculture & Rural Development
    Date: 2015

    Download File

    This policy outlines how the Government of Vanuatu will help bring about sustainable development in the agriculture sector over the next 15 years.

    Prepared by: Vanuatu Department of Agriculture & Rural Development
    Date: June 2015

    Download File

    BUT: Les ressources agricoles nationales sont gérées de maniére intégrée durable; elles constituent ainsi une source de nourriture et de revenus accrus, et contribuent aux services environnementaux et sociaux, aux fins de l'amélioration du bien-être de tous les habitants de Vanuatu.

    Download File

    Goal: The nation's agricultural resources are managed in an integrated and sustainable manner to provide food and improved incomes as well as contribute to environmental and social services to enhance wellbeing of all people in Vanuatu.

    Download File

    Ten bigfala kwestins long Vanuatu Agrakalja Sekta Polisi. Eim: Blong olgeta Agrikaljurol kakae mo kash krop blong Vanuatu oli stap gud oltaem mo manejem long wan wei we i mekem mane, givhan long sastenebol divelomen blong laef blong evri pipol blong Vanuatu kasem 2030.

    Download File

    Eim: Blong manejem olgeta agrikalja risos blong kaontri long wan fasin we i inkludim evri samting tugeta mo long wan fasin we i stap gud oltaem, blong provaedem kakae mo impruvum olgeta inkam mo tu givhan long envaeronmentol mo sosol sevis blong divelopem living blong evri pipol blong Vanuatu.

    Download File

    Agritourism Plan of Action

    Download File

    Agritourism Plan of Action - Implementation Plan

    Download File

    Agritourism Action Plan for Farmers (draft) 2017

    Download File

    The MALFFB Corporate Plan is designed to assist the line Departments in development of their annual business plans. It outlines Objectives and Expected Results for each Department, as well as eight overarching Priority Areas.

    Download File

    This Overarching Productive Sector Policy (OPSP) identifies what the Vanuatu government, supported by development partners, can do to facilitate equitable growth and elaborates the elements of a sustainable growth strategy for the sector.

    Download File

    The PAA outlines strategies towards achieving the goal of “An Educated, Healthy and Wealthy Vanuatu”.

    Prepared by: Department of Economic and Sector Planning, Ministry of Finance and Economic Management
    Date: June 2006

    Download File

    The Planning Long and Acting Short document for 2013 to 2016 provides the Government policy priorities for the Government’s economic and social agenda over the next four years, across seven National Strategic Priorities.

    Download File

  • SUB SECTOR STRATEGIES

    Vanuatu National Kava Strategy 2016 - 2025

    An outline of national strategies towards the vision of Vanuatu as ‘the leading producer of quality organic kava in the Pacific and the world’.

    Download File

    Vanuatu National Coconut Strategy 2016 - 2025

    Vanuatu’s roadmap for developing and improving its coconut industry. The strategic framework highlights the role and responsibilities of relevant stakeholders and linking them to the functions of DARD and the proposed commodity secretariat which is to be established for the purpose of improving the sector.

    The strategy is also fully aligned to the Agriculture Sector Policy.

    Download File

    The National Fruits and Vegetables Strategy is part of a series of strategic documents produced by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to assist in implementing the Vanuatu Agriculture Sector Policy (2015-2030).The development of this Strategy was made possible through the financial, technical and in-kind support from key partners and stakeholders to ensure that the strategy will serve as a realistic and well supported roadmap for this important sector over the next 10 years.

    Download File

    Under Development

  • LEGISLATION AND REGULATIONS

    This Act establishes the Vanuatu Agriculture College and its Council; outlines functions and powers; and sets out details for the appointment of management and staff and financial matters for the organisation.

    Download File

    This Act establish the Vanuatu Agricultural Research and Technical Centre; and provides for its constitution, functions and powers.

    Download File

    This Act provides for the control of cocoa bean quality, including licensing, export, and inspection.

    Download File

    This Act provides for the inspection of copra in Vanuatu.

    Download File

  • STATISTICS

  • USEFUL RESOURCES

    This is the national questionnaire sheet completed by the Vanuatu Department of Agriculture and Rural Development during the development of the Pacific Agriculture/Forestry Sector Policy Inventory.

    Download File

  • PARTNER / DONORS ACTIVITIES

    A matrix outlining ongoing and upcoming donor/development partner activities in the agriculture sector in Vanuatu

    Download File

vu dard logo
vu laefstok logo
  • KEY POLICIES

    The National Forest Policy sets out clear policy directives for the management of Vanuatu’s forests and forest resources for the 10 years to 2023. This includes presentation of clear policy directives that are supported by implementation strategies, as well as prioritizing implementation of each policy strategy.

    Prepared by: SPC-GIZ CCCPIR, SPC LRD and the Department of Forestry
    Date: 2013

    Download File

  • SUB SECTOR STRATEGIES

    Under Development

  • LEGISLATION AND REGULATIONS

    This bill is due to replace the Forestry Rights Registration and Timber Harvest Guarantee Act, and will provide for the registration of forestry rights over planted forests and for the harvesting of forest products and for related matters.

    This Act relates to the registration of certain forestry rights granted in respect of land, and to the harvesting and accreditation of timber plantations. This Act has been repealed by parliament and is awaiting gazetting. It will be replaced by the Planted Forests Bill.

    Download File

    This Act makes provision for the protection, development and sustainable management of forests and the regulation of the forestry industry in Vanuatu.

    Download File

  • USEFUL RESOURCES

    This is the national questionnaire sheet completed by the Vanuatu Department of Forestry during the development of the Pacific Agriculture/Forestry Sector Policy Inventory.

    Download File

vu forestry logo
  • KEY POLICIES

    The Vanuatu National Fisheries Sector Policy 2016–2031 is the umbrella visionary document of the Republic of Vanuatu, in which the Ministry responsible for Fisheries and its partners takes charge in delivering assistance to support the fisheries sector to achieve its target activities over the next 15-year period. The policy highlights priority issues in this sector and sets out a number of key strategic actions to address these challenges.

    Download File

  • SUB SECTOR STRATEGIES

    The Vanuatu Aquaculture Development Plan is a five-year strategic plan that represents a significant step in outlining the aquaculture road map for Vanuatu for the near future. It highlights the main components, including research and development, extension, infrastructure, credit and finance facilities, and environmental management.

    Download File

    This Plan applies first: to the managed fishery relating to the species of fish, invertebrates, corals (dead or live), giant clams and other related organisms known as marine aquarium products. Second, it applies to all activities under the definition of "fishing" as defined in the Fisheries Act, No. 55 of 2005, including netting, scuba diving, snorkelling, collecting, using cages and traps, storage and handling of caught fish, and transporting live aquarium species.

    Download File

    Coconut crabs were once plentiful throughout much of the tropical Indo-Pacific region, but over-harvesting has resulted in only a few countries now having exploitable stocks. This Management Plan is the outcome of research conducted over the past 20 years, as well as high level consultations undertaken with relevant local communities and stakeholders, for the sustainable management of coconut crabs in Vanuatu.

    Download File

    This policy will carry Vanuatu forward to meet the different regional and international fishing arrangements, agreements, treaties, conventions, and commissions to have a sound effective and efficient management of its offshore fisheries resources.

    Download File

vu biosecurity logo
  • KEY POLICIES

    This policy is the first of its type for Vanuatu since the Department came into existence as the Department of Vanuatu Quarantine and Inspection Services in 1997; in 2013 changing its name to Biosecurity Vanuatu.

    Download File

  • SUB SECTOR STRATEGIES

    Under Development

  • LEGISLATION AND REGULATIONS

    This Act outlines requirements to prevent the introduction of communicable diseases into Vanuatu and to make provision for the enforcement of quarantine in Vanuatu.

    Download File

    This Act provides for the exclusion and effective management of plant pests, and to facilitate exports of plant produce from Vanuatu.

    Download File

    This Act makes provisions for the regulation and control of the importation of animals, animal products and biological products into Vanuatu.

    Download File

  • USEFUL RESOURCES

    Under Development

vu biosecurity logo
Download Download Download Download Download Download

Vanuatu Agriculture Statistics at a glance

stats 01
stats 02

Vanuatu Key Commodities

subsistence

Subsistence

Subsistence farming (farming to feed your family) makes up more than 75% of all agriculture in Vanuatu:

  • This centres around root crops such as Taro, Yam, Cassava and Sweet Potato
  • It focuses on consumption and cultural purposes
  • There is a reliance on rain for irrigation and basic tools are used
semi commercial

Semi-Commercial

This is small scale farming for cash:

  • It is concentrated around Urban areas
  • It consists mainly of the following crops - green leafy vegetables, local island cabbage, Chinese cabbage, capsicum, eggplants, spices and herbs.
commercial

Commercial

There are four main cash crops in Vanuatu:

  • Cocoa, kava, coffee and coconut.
  • Pepper and Vanilla are also grown for cash crops.

Where can I get Technical support for agriculture?

  • Department of Agriculture & Rural Development | Ph: 22525
    Extension & Training; Research & Development; Planting Materials, Tools & Inputs; Sustainable Farming; Food Security

  • Vanuatu Agricultural Research & Technical Centre (VARTC) | Ph: 36320
    Research, Development & Training

  • Vanuatu Agriculture College (VAC) | Ph: 36606
    Training & Extension

  • Ministry of Trade | Ph: 23606
    Market Access

  • Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access Program (PHAMA) | Ph: 25229
    Market Access

  • Environment Department | Ph: 25302
    Environmental Protection

  • Lands Department | Ph: 22892
    Agricultural Land Use

  • Technical and Vocational Education & Training (TVET) | Ph: 27166
    Training

  • Ministry for Climate Change | Ph: 29594
    Climate Change & Climate Variability

  • Meteorology and Geo-Hazards Department | Ph: 24686
    Disaster Risk Reduction

  • Ministry of Justice & Community Services | Ph: 33615
    Gender & Vulnerable Groups

Where can I get Financial support for agriculture?

  • Vanuatu Agriculture Development Bank | Ph: 23140

  • Westpac Vanuatu | Ph: 22084

  • ANZ Vanuatu | Ph: 26355

  • National Bank of Vanuatu | Ph: 22201

  • BRED (Vanuatu) | Ph: 135561

  • Vanuatu Investment Promotion Authority (VIPA) | Ph: 24096 / 24441

  • Reserve Bank of Vanuatu | Ph: 23333

You can find contact details for other Government agencies here.

SIGN-UP TO PAFPNet