Vanuatu agriculture

 trial on the southern-most island of Aneityum has yielded very good results and the first potatoes have been harvested at Port Patrick Agriculture station.

According to DARD, there are healthy potatoes growing at Malafau Area, West Efate and farmers are expecting a good harvest shortly.

Epau and Pangpang regions of North East Efate are also showing healthy farms and farmers there are anticipating a good harvest soon.

The potato planting programme started in Tanna earlier this year and it was extended to the other provinces.

The participants from Vanuatu joined trainees from 21 other countries in the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific regions.

Developing the vegetable sector plays an important role in improving people’s food security, nutrition and livelihoods in Vanuatu.

The training was aimed at helping participants improve their country’s vegetable production technology, promote development of the agriculture and look at challenges faced by the sector.

The harvest is anticipated to be the largest since Tropical Cyclone Pam hit the country in 2015 and farmers are happy about their achievement.

Tanna Coffee management says as they come closer to the end of the harvest season, it reminds them of how far they have reached since 2015.

“Every single day we are happy to be alive and moving forward, and every single coffee bean picked and processed counts towards the future of our farmers and their families, “said the management.

The programme is part of efforts to support the Tropical Cyclone Pam Recovery project by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

Last month 72 bags (about 1.4 tons) of potato seeds were supplied to 23 farmers from Votlo Village down South to Nikaura up North East.

The farmers were also supplied with 254 packets of onion seeds and 391 packets of carrot seeds.

A training was conducted by Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) potato technician, Isaac Iaruel and AAO, Epi John Willie during the distributions.

According to the plan, 100,000 coconut trees will be planted annually until 2026.

The Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD), Antoine Ravo says coconut trees have withered as a result of cyclones and there is a need to plant new ones.

“There are many coconut trees but they are not good for producing fruits as the plants are old and the number of plants have decreased after Cyclone Pam,” said Ravo.

A new coconut sector strategy will identify gaps and provide causes of action to help revive the sector.

DARD purchased and supplied 31 weighing scales of which 10 was distributed in Saratamata, 5 in Sola, 8 in Lenakel, and another 8 in Lakatoro this month.

Director of DARD, Antoine Ravo says there was no mechanism in place to control prices and there were complaints about the cost of operation.

“We had complaints from farmers on cost of operation so we encouraged them to increase supply and use scales so it is easier to control price,” he said.

The training that was held at Vanuatu Agriculture College was the first of its kind held in the country.

It was conducted by Chinese company, Long Ping High Tec Co Ltd.

The training focused on rice technology, maize technology, farming skills and farm mechanization.

The skills learnt during the training will help the farmers to produce more and better quality rice.

A spokesman for the College said the majority of students in Year 10 junior secondary schools and senior secondary schools believe the first thing to learn was to use a computer.

But the spokesman said an appreciation of tilling the land is essential for survival because everyone had eats to live.

He said knowing how to use the computer was important but that students have to know how to farm the land because in Vanuatu everyone had a plot of land.

 Last month farmers in Vanuatu were assisted with kava seedlings and nurseries as part of a project to boost kava production in Vanuatu.

About 200 additional kava plants of the 'Palarasul' noble variety from Santo were introduced into a banana collection of more than 5 local varieties.

A partnership between DARD and Malapoa College is also helping students to learn intercropping techniques.

Year 13 students of Malapo College joined DARD last Friday to learn the model of intercropping and its value in economic terms.

As a result of a national shortage in the local supply of kava, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Vanuatu is carrying out a nationwide kava restocking program.

Kava is a major export commodity in Vanuatu and the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) is aiming to set up kava nurseries at provincial levels and farms to boost kava production.

Director of Agriculture and Rural Development, Antoine Ravo says the department is spreading awareness to help them produce more.