In 2007 National Department of Agriculture and Livestock prepared a National Agricultural Development Plan for the period 2007 to 2016 (Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock 2007). This was submitted to the National Executive Council which endorsed it and committed significant funds to the NADP of about K1200 million over ten years.
In 2008, K68 million was allocated with a further K100 million in 2009. As with the earlier 2002–2012 strategy prepared by NDAL, the NADP has been viewed poorly by many in the agriculture sector in Papua New Guinea. The comments by the director of the Institute of National Affairs in an article in the Papua New Guinea Post-Courier (Barker 2009) are likely to reflect the views of many in the agriculture sector. Barker wrote:
NADP has largely been a wasted opportunity, so far. Grants have been made to individuals and businesses without clearly applied criteria or quality checks. Why should one group secure a large subsidy and not another, undermining a level playing field, those borrowing, while encouraging corruption; for example K17 million for 6000 head of cattle indeed, or nearly K3000 per head of unremarkable cattle! We need to be much more prudent with (limited) investment funds.