More than 60 Agricultural Business Permits issued so far

More than 60 Agriculture Business Permits have been issued so far to farmers in Santo and Efate.

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) issued the first permits to 20 farmers in Santo last year, while 45 farmers from Efate received theirs recently during the launch of the program’s second window application.

According to the DARD, some applications are still being processed.

Director Antoine Ravo explained that applicants must meet several criteria before being granted permit, including owning at least one or two hectares of land.

The permits cover several categories including market vendors, agricultural traders, exporters, nursery operators, seed operators, and tissue culture operators.

Ravo said that nursery operators must produce at least 1,000 seedlings, while other categories include seed operators and tissue culture operators, which involve modern technology aimed at increasing agricultural production.

He said the Agriculture Business Permit aims to encouraged farmers to shift focus from informal to commercial.

“We want every farmer, every market vendor, every trader, and every exporter to shift from the informal sector to the formal sector of agriculture business,” Ravo said.

Applicants are also required to demonstrate that their business plans can generate at least VT2 million in annual profit, ensuring that only serious farmers enter the program.

“The aim is to make sure serious farmers come into the program so the department can measure the impact of agricultural policies and strategies, and at the same time provide data to support decisions on where assistance should be directed,” he said.

The agricultural business permit costs VT17,000, which Ravo said is a small investment for farmers looking to expand their businesses.

“You may earn more than what you pay for the permit,” he added.