Abaot
About VARTC
Haus blong saens blong graon — the Centre that has grown Vanuatu's future since 1962.
Who we are
Vanuatu's national agricultural research centre
VARTC — CTRAV in French — conserves Vanuatu's crop and livestock diversity, breeds better varieties, trains researchers and farmers, and shares what it learns. Its first Strategic Plan (2023–2027) aims for a "Centre of tropical agricultural research excellence".[5]
Our mandate
Under the VARTC Act [CAP 286][4], VARTC is mandated:[6]
- To carry out applied and development-oriented research in agriculture and livestock
- To encourage or facilitate the application or use of research results
- To train, and assist in the training of, research workers in agricultural science
- To collect, interpret and disseminate scientific and technical information
- To collaborate with research institutions or donors in agricultural research
Our aim & priorities
Our aim (Strategic Plan 2023–2027)
“Centre of tropical agricultural research excellence of Vanuatu”[5]
About VARTC
The Ministry describes VARTC as “the national research centre for coconut, coffee, cocoa and livestock in Vanuatu”, adding root and tuber crops, nuts and breadfruit, and contributing to economic development “by selling improved plant materials and cattle, providing training in agriculture and breeding, and providing scientific and technical information”.[7]
Strategic Plan 2023–2027 priorities
The Strategic Plan sets research interventions in four areas — food and cash crops; ruminants and non-ruminants; forests and natural vegetation; freshwater fisheries and aquaculture — with cross-cutting themes of higher production and quality, new varieties and breeds, sustainable animal feed and the impact of climate change.[5]
“Research is everybody's business — research for development, research for the growth of Vanuatu's productive sector.” — Antoine Ravo, Board Chair, Vanuatu Daily Post, 12 Jul 2025[8]
Our history
One station, five names
The station was founded by IRHO, the French oil-crops research institute, and has carried five names since. The full story is on the Milestones page.
| Period | Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 – 1984/85 | Station de recherches sur le cocotier de Saraoutou (IRHO) Saraoutou Oil Crops Research Station | [1] |
| 1982 → | Valeteruru coffee & cocoa unit (IRCC) | [2] |
| 1984/85 – 1994 | Saraoutou station under CIRAD 1984 per VARTC; | [2] |
| 1994 – 2002 | Vanuatu Agricultural Research and Training Centre — CARFV under CIRAD management mandate | [3] |
| 2003 → today | Vanuatu Agricultural Research and Technical Centre — CTRAV statutory body under CAP 286 | [4] |
The station
Saraoutou, Santo
About 11 km north of Luganville on Santo's east coast: coral terrace and volcanic-ash plateau, 2,815 mm of rain a year (1984–2002), about 400 ha including 220 ha of coconuts and 100 ha of pasture (2016).[9] Two on-station villages of about 120 people (2016).
Visit & contactGovernance
How VARTC is run
Steglar Tabiaga (2025).[10]
Chaired by Antoine Ravo, Director of DARD (2024–2025).[8] Composition revised by the 2008 Amendment Act.[11]
Established with the Board and CEO under CAP 286.[2].
Annual Report 2024 presented to the Minister on 1 April 2025 — a first.[10] In 2024 VARTC consulted on reviewing its Act and on a National Productive Sector Research Council.[12]