Prime Minister James Marape continues to drive his government’s commitment to transform the agriculture sector into a major revenue maker for Papua New Guinea (PNG). On Monday 7th April, in Lae city at the National Agriculture Industry Public- Private Sector Partnership Conference, he stressed this in his opening speech by issuing a call to action for PNG to transform its agriculture sector through unified public-private partnerships. In his address at the opening of the Conference, Prime Minister Marape said agriculture is no longer just a sector, it is the foundation for national survival, self-reliance, and long-term prosperity. “I am not a prophet, but I can see that food and water will be the biggest global challenges ahead bigger than oil, gas, or gold,” he said. “PNG must wake up and realize that agriculture is our biggest untapped wealth.” He emphasized that while global conversations focus on climate change, food insecurity is emerging as a pressing challenge, especially for highly populated neighboring nations like China, India, Indonesia, and the Philippines. “When climate change disrupts global rice or wheat production, PNG must be ready to feed ourselves and supply our region,” he said. The Prime Minister outlined his vision to migrate one million households from subsistence living into commercial agriculture, leveraging PNG’s 97% customary land ownership and year-round sunshine. “If my mother could earn K10,000 annually selling cabbage at Tari Market in the 1980s, then in today’s K120 billion economy, one million rural families can do the same or more,” he said. “That’s K10 billion in grassroots income.” He argued that agriculture is not only key to import replacement but also a major export driver, highlighting PNG’s coffee, cocoa, copra, palm oil, livestock, and horticulture potential. Prime Minister Marape challenged the private sector, provincial governments, and policymakers to turn rhetoric into results by creating practical partnerships to unlock land, improve access to finance, and streamline regulations.