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Horticulture

The Solomon Islands - Australia Partnership’s Strongim Bisnis is expanding its support for smallholder farmers in Guadalcanal Province by improving access to essential resources and services. By partnering with food processing companies, the program continues to open market opportunities.

Expanding Horticulture Initiatives to Enhance Smallholder Farmer Productivity and Market Access

In response to challenges in the Solomon Islands' coconut sector, Strongim Bisnis shifted its focus in 2023 from traditional products like virgin coconut oil to developing diverse value-added products. By investing in new product development, branding, and collaboration, the program aims to boost local and export markets, driving growth and innovation within the sector.

The Solomon Islands - Australia Partnership’s Strongim Bisnis is expanding its support for smallholder farmers in Guadalcanal Province by improving access to essential resources and services. By partnering with food processing companies, the program continues to open market opportunities.

Why Horticulture

The horticulture sector is vital for the Solomon Islands, supporting 80% of the population with both household consumption and income generation. Women, who make up 75% of the sector’s workforce, play a crucial role in this industry, which turns over $119 million SBD annually. 

Despite its significance, the sector faces challenges such as limited domestic market growth, inconsistent supply aggregation, and high post-harvest losses. Highlighting the opportunity to diversify crop varieties, enhance value-added products, and improve supply chain efficiencies.

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Strategy

Developing New Markets through Value Addition

  • Support setting up processing facilities for local and export markets by assisting partners Bulk Shop, Aelan Agro Fres (AAF), Kate Halukeni Ahukela Enterprise (KHA), and SAPE Farm.
  • Implement branding and marketing initiatives for partners to enhance product visibility and sales opportunities.

Enhanced Aggregation for Supply Consistency and Food Security

  • Improve food security by enhancing aggregation and procurement practices to boost the volume and quality of produce, and support farmers' relationships with food processing partners.
  • Address challenges such as quality assurance, volume consistency and high overhead costs by providing incentives like tractor tilling services and training.

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Cross - Cutting Themes

Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GEDSI):

  • Expand value-added processing within the horticulture sector by creating more employment opportunities and encourage greater participation from women and youth.

Public-Private Sector Collaboration:

  • Promote successful initiatives like SAPE Farm’s out-grower scheme with other enterprises and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL). Partnering with MAL will spread these successful practices to farmers and value-added processors through its support and extension networks.

Australian Business Collaboration:

  • Support enterprises such as SAPE Farm, KHA, and Bulk Shop in connecting with Australian marketing firms by enhancing branding and improve sales opportunities for Solomon Islands’ value-added root crops both domestically and internationally.

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Impact Outcomes

  • Improved Market Conditions: Diversified produce and new selling methods, with enhanced access to technology, information, and services, increasing demand and supply.
  • Enhanced Value Chains: Better conditions and incentives for farmers through improved access to information, technology, and inputs.
  • Advanced Agricultural Practices: Adoption of improved technology, production methods, and post-harvest techniques, leading to better-quality horticulture products.
  • Increased Productivity: Higher productivity levels among horticulture farmers.
  • Job Creation: More employment opportunities in horticulture value chains for men, women, youth, and people with disabilities.‍
  • Higher Household Income: Increased net income for households due to improved market and production conditions.

Current partners

Strongim Bisnis will advance its efforts by collaborating with key partners to enhance the horticulture sector's growth. The program will continue to drive innovation in value addition, improve aggregation practices, and foster new market opportunities. 

The program has established partnerships with five food processors who produce products made from root crops (cassava, taro, and sweet potatoes) and bananas.

Bulk Shop, Aelan Agro Fres (AAF), Kate Halukeni Ahukela Enterprise (KHA), and Northwest Guadalcanal Development Association (NWGDA) and SAPE Farm.

Driving Growth in Horticulture: Strongim Bisnis and Bulk Shop's Collaborative Success

In 2023, Strongim Bisnis partnered with Bulk Shop and key agricultural stakeholders to elevate the horticulture sector in the Solomon Islands. This collaboration focused on enhancing value addition and streamlining supply chains, resulting in a notable increase in the variety and sales of locally sourced horticultural crops.

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OUR Horticulture NEWS

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Explore Our Programs

Tackling the nation’s trade and investment challenges, we work to provide solutions for businesses and investors in the coconut, cocoa, tourism, waste management, timber, financial services and horticulture industries, while empowering women, youth and people living with disability.

Women's Economic Empowerment

Increasing gender equity and opportunities for women to access and take advantage of resources to create and obtain jobs and move into senior roles throughout the market.

Cocoa

The Solomon Islands - Australia Partnership’s Strongim Bisnis is revolutionising the Solomon Islands cocoa sector through investments in local enterprises and extensive marketing efforts, stimulating in-country value addition and generating an increased demand for local cocoa products.

Coconut

The Solomon Islands - Australia Partnership’s Strongim Bisnis is strengthening growth of the coconut industry through marketing and diversification of the product range of existing producers, bringing sustainability and resilience to businesses.

GEDSI

Strongim Bisnis is working to create more inclusive economic opportunities by actively supporting Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI). Through targeted interventions and partnerships, the program helps remove barriers to participation, such as limited access to resources and decision-making. By promoting inclusiveness across sectors, Strongim Bisnis aims to build a more equitable economy that benefits everyone.

Horticulture

The Solomon Islands - Australia Partnership’s Strongim Bisnis is expanding its support for smallholder farmers in Guadalcanal Province by improving access to essential resources and services. By partnering with food processing companies, the program continues to open market opportunities.

Timber

The Solomon Islands timber sector relies heavily on round log exports, with only a small fraction of wood exports processed locally. As the natural forest logging industry declines, there is a critical need to expand plantation timber and enhance domestic processing capabilities. Strongim Bisnis is focusing on improving plantation timber value chains and downstream processing to ensure the sector's long-term sustainability.

Tourism

The tourism sector plays a significant role in the Solomon Islands' economy, contributing 10.5% to GDP and generating USD 132.8 million annually before the COVID-19 pandemic. With a goal of reaching 50,000 international visitors per year by 2025, Strongim Bisnis is partnering with high-potential businesses to help the tourism industry grow.

Waste Management

Strongim Bisnis is working on waste streams (initially within Guadalcanal, Central and Western provinces) with the objective of finding sustainable and commercially viable solutions for recycling and waste removal/disposal services. This is aimed at driving economic growth and creating private sector jobs.

Youth & Disability Inclusion

Addressing the vulnerability of unemployed young women and men and the barriers for youth to be included in the economy – especially those who live with disabilities.