Over 90 farmers on Malo Island have gathered helpful information about root crops at trainings that took place at five locations on the island.
The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) confirmed that the awareness trainings targeted areas like the status of food security in Vanuatu, genetic erosion, soil fertility, climate change and laziness.
Discussions also focused on some solutions to these problems.
Other areas include Vanuatu Crop calendar, training on planting yam vine cuttings as rapid propagation technique and for increasing yam production, training on taro Fiji mini sets (the importance of taro corm) as rapid propagation techniques for increasing taro Fiji production, demonstration of the two technics of rapid propagation, hands-on on planting yam vine cuttings and taro mini sets, and distribution of root crops elite varieties (500 vines of sweet potato, 500 cassava cuttings, and 5000 mini sets of taro Fiji.
DARD stated that the participants have gained knowledge about the status of food security in Vanuatu, adopted some solutions to their problems, and have better knowledge on Vanuatu crop calendar, planting yam vine cuttings and taro Fiji mini sets and planting materials.
“If all the participants apply the knowledge, in a period of 2 years we will have some good results.”
DARD also confirmed that the Root crop Specialist will follow up with visits to the 90 farmers on the island.
Photo supplied Caption: Root crop specialist explaining mini sets of Fijian taro