The Solomon Islands Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI) has thrown its full support behind a call by the Governor of the Central Bank of Solomon Islands (CBSI), Dr. Luke Forau, for urgent action to revitalise the country's agriculture sector.

As the leading voice for the private sector, SICCI has welcomed Dr. Forau’s recommendations, made during the launch of the CBSI’s 2024 Annual Report, stressing that agriculture holds the key to the nation’s economic revival.

“SICCI is with the Governor of Central Bank when it comes to agriculture development,” the Chamber stated, underscoring its longstanding belief that agriculture remains the backbone of the Solomon Islands’ economic future.

During his address, Dr. Forau emphasised that while agriculture continues to show growth, the progress has been too slow to drive the transformational change the country desperately needs.

He issued a rallying cry for "clear goals, dedication, coordination, and strong national ownership" to unlock agriculture's full potential.

"Agriculture can turn the economy around," Dr. Forau asserted.

He called for a tripling of the nation's agricultural output through the establishment of major agricultural projects across all provinces, coupled with a strong push toward value-adding — transforming coconuts into coconut oil, cocoa into chocolate, and kava into processed powders — to increase national earnings and create jobs.

"The sector has been full of promise since independence, but its true potential has never been realised," he noted. "Now is the time for major investment focused squarely on economic growth."

Dr. Forau also identified replanting programs for cocoa and coconut as immediate priorities that could deliver short-term gains while broader initiatives take root.

Strengthening the agricultural sector, he argued, would not only uplift rural communities but also bolster national resilience against external economic shocks.

SICCI echoed these sentiments, stressing that with the right investment and coordinated national effort, agriculture could finally become the cornerstone of sustainable economic prosperity in the Solomon Islands.

The strong endorsement from SICCI signals a unified push from both the financial and private sectors toward making agriculture the engine of national growth.