Vanuatu Minister for Agriculture Matai Seremaiah Nawalu has officially launched the Pacific Week of Agriculture (PWA) Logo and theme in Port Vila.
Speaking prior to the launch yesterday, Mr Seremiah congratulated the organising committee and its team for coming up with an exciting theme for PWA, such as Pacific CROPS which stands for Culture, Resilience, Opportunities, Products and Sustainability.
“The government believes the theme fits in well with much of what Pacific countries are trying to achieve in the agriculture sector through their national agendas, and for Vanuatu, with the people’s plan 2030. When it comes to tourism we have to talk about products. What kind of products do we want produce to meet tourism demand?
“I want to congratulate the team for coming up with the theme and everyone involved in the planning towards PWA,” he said.
The brand image is of a woven coconut leaf basket, with the woven brand name PWA - Pacific Week of Agriculture.
In Pacific culture, coconut leaves are used in a number of ways including production of artisanal crafts such as baskets, hats, fans and are a versatile source of shelter. The sustainability of coconuts as a significant Pacific crop is reflective of the motivation behind PWA and its continuity as an important annual, regional event focusing on Agriculture as a key sector.
The ceremony marks an important milestone in the planning and preparations done so far, which are geared towards what is set to become an annual premiere Pacific Agriculture event for farmers and agritourism business within the region.
PWA was hatched in October 2014 when Vanuatu attended Caribbean Week of Agriculture in Suriname, South America.
The idea later received unanimous support from South West Pacific Ministers of Agriculture in Port Moresby in May of 2015.
Also in attendance at the launch were key directors within government who were present earlier to try and nail down agritourism events and activities that could be showcased in the first two days of the one-week event.
The week-long event in October is being hosted for the first time in Vanuatu with support from the Vanuatu Government, Pacific Community (SPC) and Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
Photo supplied