Leguminous vegetables market in Papua New Guinea

Earlier Report Observations

The market for fresh leguminous vegetables in Papua New Guinea grew from 146 t in 2018 to 171 t in 2023, a rise primarily fueled by increasing imports, which reached 28 t by 2023, while domestic production remained steady near 143 t. The state-owned Fresh Produce Development Agency (FPDA) was a central actor, expanding its contractor network to about 14,000 farmers by 2019 to commercialize small-holder production. However, persistent infrastructure deficits like poor roads and a lack of cold storage hindered local product quality and market access, sustaining the competitiveness of imported vegetables.

New players entered the market, including East New Britain Fresh Produce Limited established in 2020 to create direct links between growers and consumers. FPDA's partnerships with provincial governments focused on improving seed quality, pest management, and post-harvest handling, while digital tools like the Farmis app provided farmers with critical market information. Concurrently, there were persistent calls to reduce vegetable imports and develop local downstream processing to add value, though regulatory hurdles continued to affect the sector's competitiveness.

By 2023, market volume had reached 171 t. In early 2024, imports fell sharply to 1.1 t, and minimal exports of 0.5 t commenced. Domestic production levels showed little variation, reflecting the slow impact of support programs against enduring structural challenges in transportation and infrastructure.

Production leguminous vegetables in Papua New Guinea

In kind, 2017-2020, t

Top producers of leguminous vegetables, 2017-2020

World map of production of leguminous vegetables, 2017-2020

Papua New Guinea's leguminous vegetables production saw growth for two consecutive years before declining. In 2019, production reached its peak at 144.9 tonnes. However, in 2020, output fell slightly to 142.5 tonnes, marking a 1.6% decrease from the previous year. The most significant increase occurred in 2018, when production rose by 1.8%.

Annual dynamics of production in Papua New Guinea in kind, 2017-2020, t

Exports leguminous vegetables from Papua New Guinea

Market data shows that Papua New Guinea did not export any leguminous vegetables between 2017 and 2020.

Imports leguminous vegetables to Papua New Guinea

Imports in kind, kg

Import volumes of leguminous vegetables in Papua New Guinea showed considerable volatility during this period. In 2018, imports hit their lowest point at 3 551 kg. The following year, 2019, saw imports surge to 24 776 kg, representing a massive 597.6% increase and marking the highest volume recorded. By 2020, imports dropped sharply to 12 095 kg, a 51.2% decrease from 2019. The difference between the peak in 2019 and the trough in 2018 was sevenfold.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Papua New Guinea in kind, 2017-2020, kg

From 2017 to 2020, Australia dominated Papua New Guinea's leguminous vegetables imports, accounting for 89.9% of total volume. Other markets played a much smaller role during this period.

Structure of product's imports in kind by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Papua New Guinea in kind, 2017-2020

Imports in value, $ US

The value of leguminous vegetables imports into Papua New Guinea displayed notable fluctuations. In 2018, imports reached their lowest point at 22 186 US dollars, declining by 5.6% from the previous year. The following year, 2019, saw imports jump to 40 085 US dollars, an 80.7% increase and the highest value recorded. By 2020, imports fell to approximately 38 239 US dollars, a 4.6% decrease from 2019. The difference between the 2019 peak and the 2018 low was 1.8 times.

Annual dynamics of product's imports to Papua New Guinea in value, 2017-2020, $ US

Between 2017 and 2020, Australia was overwhelmingly the main source of Papua New Guinea's leguminous vegetables imports by value, consistently representing 96.9% of total import spending.

Structure of product's imports in value by countries, 2017-2020

World map of product's imports to Papua New Guinea in value, 2017-2020