Vanuatu farmers reminded to prepare for cyclones

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) is reminding all Vanuatu farmers to remain prepared for cyclones.

The cyclone season in Vanuatu runs from November to April.

Farmers are being advised to pay attention to messages sent out by authorities in the event a cyclone develops.

The department said farmers can cut off tree branches close to farm houses, remove old farm houses that are not needed, reinforce the roofing with nails or a rope and bar the windows with iron roofing or timber.

In the gardens, farmers are being advised to remove bananas leaves, prune island cabbages, trim the top of cassava plants, harvest bananas that are ready, harvest water taro that might be washed away by floods  and harvest enough food and store them at home.

In addition, local farmers are being urged to harvest fruits that are ready and those that are almost ready and store them at home, keep the seeds to replant again and remove tree branches that might be broken by strong winds.

“At the farm gardens, dig up cassava that have been destroyed by winds, if there are too many cassava, dig a hole in the soil to store the extra cassava, harvest other food crops that are still good and store them at home, replant island cabbage branches that are broken, pruning of kava branches that are broken and replanting of kava branches, prepare banana suckers for replanting again, replant sweet potato stems and prune the branches of trees that are broken” DARD stated

DARD said it is important that all farmers should keep tuning in to all radio outlets for update information on any Tropical Cyclone that affects Vanuatu.

 

Photo supplied Caption: Willie Iau agriculture officer trimming cassava tops

 

     

Author: 
Tensly Sumbe