Vanuatu Bureau of Standards

24/06/2026

🇻🇺 SANTO NATIONAL PACKHOUSE OFFICIALLY COMMISSIONED – A NEW ERA FOR VANUATU EXPORTS

Today marks a historic milestone for Vanuatu's agricultural sector. The Government officially commissioned the Santo National Packhouse, bringing the integrated farm-to-export system fully online.

This is more than just a building opening—it is the culmination of years of planning and the centrepiece of the National Packhouse Programme. With this facility now operational, Santo's farmers have a direct, certified pathway to get their fresh produce from the farm to international markets, starting with our established export corridor to Australia.

What this means for Vanuatu:
✅ Quality Assurance: The packhouse operates under strict biosecurity and quality standards, ensuring our taro and other crops meet premium market requirements.
✅ Increased Farmer Income: By reducing post-harvest losses and eliminating middlemen, more value stays in the pockets of our local farming communities.
✅ Export Confidence: This facility strengthens Vanuatu's reputation as a reliable supplier of high-quality organic produce to the world.

The Vanuatu Bureau of Standards (VBS) remains committed to supporting this programme by ensuring all products leaving our shores meet the highest levels of safety and quality.

To our Santo farming communities: This is your opportunity. Your hard work now has a direct route to international shelves.

📸 Swipe through to see the commissioning ceremony and the state-of-the-art facility!



Ministry of Trade and Commerce, Vanuatu
Vanuatu Government
+678 25978 | gov.vu

21/05/2026

𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗠𝗮𝗱𝗲. 𝗩𝗕𝗦 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗺.

Vanuatu’s first taro shipment has arrived, been cleared, and launched in Australia! 🇻🇺➡️🇦🇺

As the leading agency, the Vanuatu Bureau of Standards (VBS) is incredibly proud that our systems—from farm traceability to the National Packhouse—made this possible. This is what sustainable trade looks like when you put quality first.

Well done to our CEO, our technical team, and all national partners. The export era has truly begun.

23/04/2026

📢 HEADLINE: HISTORY MADE! 🇻🇺➡️🇦🇺 First Santo Taro Container Exported to Australia!

The Vanuatu Bureau of Standards (VBS) is proud to announce a major national milestone: the first-ever commercial export of water taro from Santo to the Melbourne market!

✅ Why this matters:
This shipment proves that Vanuatu has met Australia’s strict biosecurity & import requirements through the VBS-led National Standard Packhouse System (SPS) – a direct result of Government mandate (COM Decision No. 51/2025).

🔹 What VBS CEO Atanas Pipite says:
“This is NOT a one-off shipment. It is the establishment of a long-term export mechanism to maintain quality, increase farmer income, and build confidence in international markets.”

🔹 What’s next?

Next month: Second shipment + Official opening of Santo Packhouse by PM Jotham Napat.

From July: New packhouses in Pentecost, Malekula & Tanna (VT300 million budget).

This is a new era for Vanuatu’s farmers – moving from producers to exporters. 👏

🇻🇺 Well done to all partners: DARD, Biosecurity Vanuatu, Customs, World Best Trading (WBT), and Market Fresh Melbourne.

Daily Post Link: https://www.dailypost.vu/news/santo-taro-farmers-first-export-to-australia/article_4667ec31-4c95-5798-b223-e86aa740c438.html

Santo farmers made history last Friday with the first export of a container of water taro to the Melbourne market in Australia.

02/04/2026

📢 Exciting Update for VBS!

We’re thrilled to announce that we’ve leveled up our customer support! 🚀 You can now visit vbs.gov.vu and chat with our new AI-powered assistant — available 24/7 to help with your inquiries.

💬 Whether you have questions about services, need assistance, or just want quick information — our AI agent is ready to help, anytime, anywhere.

🌍 Accessible for everyone — local and global audiences!

👉 Check it out now: vbs.gov.vu

#24/7 #

30/03/2026

🚨 VBS VACANCY ALERT!
We’re hiring a Manager – Laboratory Division in Port Vila.
Apply before 17 April 2026, 5:00 PM.
Open the Screen Shots for full details