The Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA) has allocated over $18 million to more than 5,000 farmers across rural and maritime areas over the past five years. This announcement was made by AMA executive chairman Jone Sovalawa during the launch of the organization’s Strategic Development Plan (SDP) for the years 2024-2026.
Sovalawa emphasized the importance of encouraging farmers through social media platforms to increase the production of in-demand commodities. He acknowledged that when the AMA was established by the government two decades ago, it encountered significant challenges, particularly regarding governance and financial discipline, which stemmed from a lack of documented plans and management issues.
“For over a decade, there have been no well-developed plans for the AMA,” he stated. The new board, which began its tenure 18 months ago, has been committed to finalizing two critical planning documents: the corporate plan and the SDP. “This is to ensure that the AMA has clear objectives as mandated by the government, aligning it with key performance indicators,” Sovalawa added.
He noted that the AMA has now successfully created a corporate plan, a financial manual, a corporate governance manual, and the new SDP, with plans to complete its annual report by December 2024.
Agriculture and Waterways Minister Vatimi Rayalu described the 2024-2026 SDP as a continuation of the AMA’s efforts to support farmers and improve the agricultural sector. He highlighted that the primary goal of the plan is to enhance marketing coordination to significantly boost local production.
“We plan to achieve this by promoting a major shift towards sustainable agricultural practices that are environmentally friendly and improve human nutrition,” Rayalu explained.
The key objectives of the AMA’s SDP include strengthening sustainable market connections, expanding the commercial agriculture footprint, diversifying agricultural and aquaculture products, identifying potential international markets, and supporting various agricultural initiatives.