A week-long Human and Institutional Capacity Development Workshop concluded in Honiara last week, marking a major step forward in strengthening agribusiness incubation and innovation systems in the Solomon Islands.
The workshop, drawing on India’s experience in agribusiness incubation, focused on building the capacity of Agribusiness Incubator (ABI) staff while equipping local agripreneurs — particularly youth, women, and rural entrepreneurs — with practical, market-oriented skills.
Speaking at the closing dinner on Friday, Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Labour and Immigration Supervising Permanent Secretary Cornelius Donga thanked the visiting team from India’s ABI Centre and described the workshop as the beginning of a new and important partnership.
“Today marks the beginning of our relationship. This relationship starts today, and it will continue into the future. We hope that one day you will come back and see how our agribusiness sector has grown, how it has accelerated to become exporters and to do business even with India," Donga said.
"I will certainly be one of those who will continue to promote and strengthen this relationship between the Solomon Islands and India. We have so much in common and so much we can learn from you. When we look at India’s journey where you were before and where you are now, we can relate to that,” he added.
Andrew Melanolu, director of the Extension Department from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, acknowledged the Indian delegation for successfully transferring knowledge during the workshop.
“I would like to begin by sincerely acknowledging Dr Venkat and the AgriGov India delegation. On behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Honourable Minister, and the Permanent Secretary, we are grateful for your presence and for being with us throughout this week-long training programme, particularly in building the capacity of our staff from the Ministry of Agriculture and other key stakeholders with whom MAL has been working closely," Melanolu said.
"The week-long training has been extremely fruitful, and we are confident that the knowledge and skills gained by our officers during this period will be valuable in advancing and operationalising the agribusiness incubation concept in the Solomon Islands,” he said.
AgHub Managing Director Dr Venkateshwarlu Gudipati, speaking during India’s National Startup Day on 16 January, highlighted similarities between India and the Solomon Islands and praised the country’s progress in launching its agribusiness incubation journey with support from the Food and Agriculture Organization and the European Commission.
“I must say that you have taken a very important and timely step. With our decade-long experience in building a start-up ecosystem, we are happy and honoured to work with you, share our learnings, and support the development of a strong Agribusiness Incubation Centre in the Solomon Islands — one that fulfils its objectives as outlined in the Letter of Agreement. Entrepreneurship does not grow automatically; it must be built through sustained effort and a strong national campaign. In India, entrepreneurship has become a movement. I would encourage the Solomon Islands to consider designating a National Entrepreneurship Day, Startup Day, or Incubation Day. Such celebrations help raise awareness and provide opportunities to showcase achievements and progress, much like Environment Day, Women’s Day, or Agriculture Education Day,” Dr Gudipati said.
The workshop provided participants with a comprehensive understanding of India’s agricultural innovation ecosystem, strengthened the capacities of ABI staff, and equipped Solomon Islands agripreneurs with practical knowledge, best practices, and exposure to high-performing start-ups and key stakeholders.
