Malaita Farmers Supported With Essential Agricultural Tools & Materials

More than 40 farmers in Malaita province has received boosting assistance of agricultural tools and materials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL) under its Sustainable Economic Growth and Export Strengthening (SEGES) programme last month 25th March 2021.

These are projects that farmers applied for in 2020 under MAL SEGES programme, a Medium Term Development Programme (MTDP) of the ministry (MAL) which is being implemented from 2020 to 2024.

“Project recipients (farmers) were really happy and acknowledged MAL for the support.

“Coconut farmers at Baunani Land Purchase Cooperative (LPC) in West Kwaio, upon receiving their coconut tools and materials, expressed gratitude and appreciation to MAL saying they will definitely use the assistance to speed up the completion of a dryer so that they could start producing copra and buying of green coconut fruits from farmers around and start using the dryer to dry coconut,” Chief Field Officer of MAL and Coordinator for Cash Crop – Provinces, Roy Timothy said.

He said the support is to guarantee farmers enhance productivity and improved their revenue earnings.

“For Malaita alone, 16 coconut farmers, 15 cocoa and 10 kava farmers were assisted with farming tools and materials as funded under the SEGES programme,”Mr. Timothy stated.

He said the farmers are chosen from the four regions of Malaita province adding due to limited funds, the ministry not able to support all farmers.

Donated items for coconut farmers include; Axes, Bush Knives, Straight spades, Yam spades, Sharpening files, Shade clothes and wheelbarrows. For cocoa farmers, they received pruning shears, loppers, pruning saws, pole pruners, ladders, chainsaws and shade clothes while Kava farmers supported with garden hoes, garden forks, secateurs, shade clothes, buckets, loppers, washing brush, nettings and wheelbarrows.

The four main objectives of the programme (SEGES) is to;

• Make sure farmers, associations, producers, buyers and exporters are empowered to increase productivity and to increase revenue earnings.
• Enhanced copra productivity through rehabilitation and support to CRB activities
• Enhance Cocoa Productivity through Rehabilitation and Genetic improvements
• Support Kava developments to increase productivity in all the Provinces

Central Province and Isabel are on the next distribution list that soon to be carried out by MAL in due course.

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