FAO, ITU Boost Business And Marketing Skills For Ambuntian Agripreneurs In Papua New Guinea

Under the EU-STREIT PNG Programme, the FAO and ITU conducted a key business management and online marketing workshop in Ambunti, empowering local MSMEs owners, farming groups leaders, and entrepreneurs.

Wewak, Papua New Guinea – Under the EU-STREIT PNG Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) recently focused their efforts on Ambunti, East Sepik Province. The initiative saw 85 local MSMEs owners, farming groups leaders, and entrepreneurs participate in an intensive training workshop designed to enhance their business management, e-commerce, online marketing, and agrometeorology services skills.

Centred on Group Business Management (GBM) using the FAO's ‘Farming-as-a-Business’ approach, the workshop employed participatory and experiential learning methods suitable for adult education. Participants engaged in a mix of theoretical discussions and practical exercises aimed at improving their business and cooperative management skills.

Complementing the business management training, ITU trainers delivered advanced training on e-commerce, online marketing and agrometeorology services strategies. These covered essential topics such as e-commerce basics, collective marketing, social media usage, and the creation of compelling farmer profiles. The training also highlighted the importance of meteorology services in agriculture, providing insights into how weather and climate impact farming activities.

A standout participant, Ms. Everlyn Sukuina, a local leader from Ambunti, expressed profound gratitude for the accessibility of the training in her community. She highlighted the significant cost barriers typically associated with such high-calibre training and thanked the EU-STREIT PNG Programme for the support. "We are so thankful and privileged to have FAO and ITU officers come right to our doorstep and deliver such vital packages of sessions under the Group Business Management and E-Commerce Trainings for our Agri-SMEs and entrepreneurs this week," said Everlyn. She added, "Such training usually costs a lot for farmers like us at the village level. We are grateful to the EU-STREIT Programme for choosing the Ambunti people this week."

The enthusiasm shown by the Ambunti community was clear, with 35 additional individuals joining the initial list of 50 attendees on the first day, eager to benefit from the training opportunity. This keen interest exemplifies the community's commitment to learning and applying new skills to enhance their agricultural and business endeavours.

This workshop forms a key component of comprehensive technical assistance designed to encourage farmers to establish, manage, and grow their own agribusinesses, transitioning from traditional subsistence farming to competitive, market-driven agriculture, access to e-markets, and agribusinesses. The Programme also prioritizes sustainable, climate-smart agricultural practices to ensure that business growth is environmentally responsible and economically sustainable.

Through these initiatives, the FAO and ITU are committed to fostering sustainable development and economic empowerment in rural communities, providing essential skills to areas like Ambunti to thrive in the global and digital economy.

About the EU-STREIT PNG Programme

The EU-STREIT PNG, being implemented as a United Nations Joint Programme (FAO as a leading agency and ILO, ITU, UNCDF and UNDP as implementing partners), is the European Union's largest grant-funded initiative in the country. It focuses on boosting sustainable and inclusive economic development in rural areas. This is achieved by enhancing economic returns and opportunities within cocoa, vanilla, and fisheries value chains. Additionally, the Programme strengthens and improves the efficiency of value chain enablers, including access to ICT and digital financial services. It also supports the development of sustainable, climate-resilient transport infrastructures and renewable energy solutions. The Programme benefits two provinces: East Sepik and West Sepik.

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