Over 3,000 kava cuttings have been distributed freely to some farmers of Ahivo district in Vanuatu’s North Pentecost.
Kava farmer Christopher Toa supplied the cuttings to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD).
The Ministry and Department of Agriculture is distributing free kava cuttings to encourage farmers to increase the production of noble kava varieties in Vanuatu as part of the Government's Kava Replanting Programme.
DARD”s Assistant Agricultural Officer Justin Rihu said negotiations with the PENAMA Provincial Agriculture Officer (PAO), Andrew Butu, resulted in the distribution of kava cuttings.
The kava cuttings were distributed last week to farmers during sporting activities leading up to PENAMA Day celebrations this week.
“There were 300 bundles of kava. Each bundle contains 12 cuttings. So far 210 bundles of kava cuttings were given to 210 farmers at Ahivo district.
“I have received a request from Loltong so the left over 90 bundles of kava were provided to farmers there Wednesday,” Mr Rihu said.
He said, “after the distribution of kava cuttings to farmers, monitoring and follow up of progress work by farmers will be done to ensure the distribution of kava cuttings serves its purpose of assisting farmers to increase production and at the same time to ensure after two to three years, we will have more branches or kava cuttings from the 3,000 cuttings.”
The distribution of kava cuttings targeted farmers who do not have huge kava farms but are gradually investing in kava planting.
The kava distribution in Loltong this week involved women, young people and students who intend to invest in kava farming in the future.
The island of Pentecost is well- known for mass production of the noble kava variety.
Photo supplied Caption: Ahivo farmers with their kava cuttings