August 2010 - LRD News

vol 6 no 2

August 2010

CONTENTS Strengthening Pacific agribusiness to enhance livelihoods............................ 1 Potential income from old coconut trees............................................ 2 HOAFS Meeting...................................... 3 Importance of agricultural biodiversity in the Pacific....................... 5 Atoll agricultural conference................. 6 EU-FACT activities................................... 7 Media and ICT in extension ................ 8 Pacific youth in agriculture strategy..................................................... 11 Farming as a business and Pacific farmers association.................... 12 Biosecurity updates................................. 13 African tulip management..................... 14 Coconut leaf pest in So Is...................... 15 Review of Vanuatu National Forest Policy............................................. 16 Youth plan for climate change.............. 17 Quality Pacific Products......................... 17 Animal health reporting......................... 18 Kiribati agroforestry training............... 19 Solomon Islands Extension Conference............................................... 20 Land Resources News is the quarterly newsletter produced by SPC Land Resources Division.

We welcome feedback, comments or contributions. Please contact LRD publications officer: EmilA@spc.int, or the LRD helpdesk, lrdhelpdesk@spc.int.

SPC Land Resources Division Private Mail Bag, Suva, Fiji Islands Telephone: (679) 337 0733 Fax: (679) 337 0021 Visit our website: www.spc.int/lrd

PARDI will be looking for opportunities to more efficiently supply existing international and domestic markets, as well as opportunities to develop new products and markets.

Strengthening Pacific agribusiness to enhance livelihoods

S

ix Pacific island countries stand to benefit from a four-year AUD10 million project to improve the competitiveness of agribusiness in the region and enhance the livelihoods of Pacific islanders. The Pacific Agribusiness Research for Development Initiative (PARDI) is a platform for research and development of high-value agricultural, fisheries and forestry products in Fiji, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, with expansion into Kiribati, Samoa and Tonga.

PARDI is an initiative of the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), to be implemented by the Land Resources Division of the Secretariat f the Pacific Community (SPC) and The University of the South Pacific, with technical support from the University of Queensland, James Cook University, University of Adelaide, Massey University and University of Sunshine Coast.

The initiative will use ‘value chain analysis’ to identify where

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problems are occurring, anywhere along the producer-to-consumer chain.

Collaborative research will then be designed to address those problems.

PARDI will be looking for opportunities to more efficiently supply existing international and domestic markets, as well as opportunities to develop new products and markets. PARDI will work closely with the private sector and encourage the constructive engagement of governments with the private sector.

ACIAR Agribusiness Research Program Manager, David Shearer, said pearls and canarium nut are two of the high-value products to receive initial attention, along with improving the supply chain competitiveness of the taro and breadfruit industries.

In his opening remarks at the inception workshop on PARDI workshop Acting Director of SPC’s Land Resources Division, Mr ‘Inoke Ratukalou, said that the productivity of the Pacific agricultural sector over the years has declined.

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(.....cont’d overleaf) Land Resources News

IMPROVING PACIFIC AGRIBUSINESS...from pg 1

‘Farmers are seeing fewer rewards in farming as a business. A key challenge for the region is developing pathways to promote commercial agriculture within the traditional farming context, which will allow increased income generating opportunities for rural households, but without sacrificing family and community cohesion and ultimately food security.

‘Food production for a rapidly increasing population in the region will therefore require greater productivity for existing staple foods and better management of land resources.

However, the key stimulus to increase food production and productivity will be an increased market demand; and indeed, increased returns to producers.

For this to be realised, improvements in domestic and overseas market linkages are needed.’

Mr Ratukalou said ‘agricultural development projects tend to focus more on production, with insufficient attention to marketing surplus produce.

Basically, if a farmer cannot sell surplus foodstuffs from his subsistence requirements, why grow it? The incentive to grow more hasn’t been there because the market opportunities haven’t been identified and communicated to farmers.

‘PARDI can play a role by increasing the incentives for commercial agriculture for Pacific farmers. This can be achieved through the development or introduction of new, more efficient technologies and by adding value through branding, processing and

Canarium nut is one of the two high-value products to receive initial attention, along with improving the supply chain competitiveness of the taro and breadfruit industries.

product development.

‘However, while there is an urgent need for initiatives like PARDI to strengthen market linkages, past efforts to commercialise Pacific agriculture have not been successful due to problems with the consistency of supply and the quality of produce. The impact of pests and diseases, declining soil fertility, access to arable land and sheer hard work to toil the soil are integral parts of development,’ said Mr Ratukalou.

ACIAR through PARDI is committed to improving competitiveness and market access for Pacific agricultural, forestry and fisheries products in order to increase economic growth for the benefit of smallholder producers and traders in the Pacific region.

ACIAR Suva-based program manager Dr Richard Markham said

the new project will focus on research relating to high-value products which might be small in volume but usually gave better returns to smallholders.

The PARDI workshop examined lessons learned from past Pacific agribusiness projects, identified successful pathways and existing initiatives with complementary strategies, and shared this information among stakeholders. An important outcome of the workshop was a common vision of the partners’ research and development strategy for products with real economic potential.

The inception workshop for PARDI was held at Novotel Nadi, 15–17 June 2010.

(For more information, please contact lrdhelpdesk@spc.int)

Potential income from old coconut trees

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PC in collaboration with the Australian Centre of International Agriculture Research (ACIAR) organised a half-day seminar to create awareness on the potential of senile coconut palms. Themed, ‘Coconut Wood High Quality Flooring – A New Potential Industry for the Pacific’ the seminar directly addressed a recommendation of a regional workshop on coconut wood utilisation held in 2004 to look at ways to effectively use wood from senile coconut palms in the Pacific.

The seminar was supported by Queensland Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI) and was held at the Holiday Inn hotel in Suva 3rd July, 2010.

Mr Sairusi Bulai of SPC Land Resource Division, said a declining interest in the coconut industry is attributed to low commodity price and low production resulting in less return.

“The low production is mainly attributed to senile coconut palms in the plantation.”

“The only way to reinvigorate the interest amongst the communities to replant their old coconut plantation is to provide high economic return to the senile trees.” Mr Bulai said.

He added that during the mid-70’s and late 80’s a lot of effort was made to look at in detail the properties of wood from senile palms and to determine the most appropriate end uses for the material.

“This was mainly due to the findings that economic value for the senile palms was considered a vital component for success of any coconut revitalisation programme.” Mr Bulai said.

The ACIAR-funded project through DEEDI in the last three years focussed on developing appropriate technologies and processes to produce high quality flooring from wood sawn from senile coconut palms targeting the high value international market for hardwood flooring.

Flooring was one of the best options (photo, above) because it was thought that technology and skill level required to produce flooring could be easily made available at Pacific island country level, especially at the initial stages of the production process.

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Agrobiodiversity on agenda of heads of agriculture and forestry meeting

T

he Fourth Regional Meeting of Heads of Agriculture and Forestry Services (HOAFS) will be held from 14 to 17 September 2010, in Nadi, Fiji Islands.

The HOAFS forum is made up of CEOs, Directors and Permanent Secretaries of Ministries of Agriculture and Forestry of the 22 member states of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC). The Suva-based Land Resources Division (LRD) of SPC provides the secretariat for HOAFS. The biannual HOAFS meeting is the main regional platform for discussing Pacific agriculture and forestry issues, and for updating members on developments at the national and regional level across the two sectors.

In recent national and regional forums, there have been strong expressions of concern and calls for more concerted efforts to address global issues such as climate change, food security, biosecurity and trade, pest and disease incursions, organic agriculture, and the place of youth in agriculture. The 2010 HOAFS meeting will address these issues within the context of the theme of the meeting, Agrobiodiversity to address climate change, food security and trade, which recognises the UN International Year of Biodiversity 2010.

The importance of agrobiodiversity is specifically recognised in the SPC LRD Strategic Plan 2009–2012, which includes the call to ‘conserve, develop, promote and utilise agrobiodiversity’. The establishment of the new Centre for Pacific Crops and Trees is evidence of the commitment of SPC to the sustainable conservation and use of agrobiodiversity.

Conservation and management of broad-based genetic diversity has been supporting the improvement of agriculture for 10,000 years. It is this broad base of diversity that has enabled agriculture to sustain increasing populations over the years. At the same time, this diversity has provided resilience within agricultural ecosystems, so they have the capacity to recover from environmental stress and to evolve.

This capacity to evolve has given us the diversity that can be the key to solving pest and disease problems. The sustainable use of agrobiodiversity can support the countries of the Pacific in meeting the challenges of climate change, ensuring food and nutritional security and developing trade.

A recent livestock survey in Fiji, Niue, Tonga and volume 6 number 2 - August 2010

Samoa has revealed that there is ample genetic diversity in local pigs and chickens, which will allow researchers to identify some locally adapted breeds that show specific resistance or tolerance to disease, limited feed and water, as well as climate change.

Agrobiodiversity can also make a significant contribution to our health. The increased consumption of imported foods of poor nutritional quality and the concurrent neglect of traditional food systems has led to escalating rates of diabetes and other non-communicable diseases.

Growing and consuming the diverse traditional island foods offer an opportunity to improve the nutritional status and health of Pacific communities. Some Pacific Island countries and territories (PICTs) have already established national programmes to boost local food production. Examples include the Talomua programme in Samoa, Plant-5-a -Day in Fiji and Go Local in Federated States of Micronesia (FSM).

Mass media coverage of issues related to agrobiodiversity has been relatively limited, although the International Year of Biodiversity 2010 has led to increased coverage recently. Agrobiodiversity is an issue that cuts across a wide range of topics, including preserving island ecosystems, promoting health and addressing climate change impact.

Recognition of its role in all of these areas will strengthen media involvement in raising public awareness and political action.

Meeting organisers will work closely with the local and regional media during the 3rd HOAFS Meeting to provide wide coverage of priority agricultural issues in the Pacific as well to highlight activities marking the International Year of Biodiversity 2010.

The 4th HOAFS meeting will review outputs and milestones from the SPC LRD Strategic Plan 2009–2012 and evaluate progress made on the recommendations from the 2008 HOAFS meeting in Apia. Discussions and recommendations from this important meeting will also guide the programmes and activities of LRD for the next two years

For more information on the 4th HOAFS meeting, please contact lrdhelpdesk@spc.int.

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Agricultural biodiversity is a sub-set of biodiversity and without it, we would have no food.

Importance of agricultural biodiversity in the Pacific

by Dr Mary Taylor, Adviser, Plant Genetics Resources and Manager, Centre for Pacific Crops and Trees (CePaCT)

W

hat is agricultural biodiversity?

We often hear about the word “biodiversity”, and when we do, we think of forests and inspiring species, such as the gorilla and the panda. The global media highlight the threats to some of these incredible species and thankfully also tell us when a new species is found. But what exactly is meant by agricultural biodiversity?

Agricultural biodiversity is a sub-set of biodiversity and without it, we would have no food. Since agriculture began, over 10,000 years ago, approximately 7,000 plant species and several thousand animal species have been used for human consumption. However, it would be wrong to define agricultural biodiversity as just the plants and animals that we eat - its value stretches beyond these crop and animal species, and includes all forms of life directly relevant to agriculture, so not just crops and livestock but also organisms such as soil fauna, weeds, pests and predators.

A closer look at agricultural biodiversity highlights the huge role it plays in our lives, and why we need to ensure we are conserving this biodiversity and sustainably using it.

Agriculture occupies more than one-

third of the land in most countries of the world. If these agricultural lands are managed sustainably, they contribute to wider ecosystem functions, such as the maintenance of water quality, and carbon sequestration.

A range of populations are needed by agriculture, such as pollinators (bees and such like) and beneficial predators. These populations must have habitat diversity to survive.

Agriculture therefore provides incentives to preserve areas, which support these populations. If we do not ensure there are habitats for these beneficial insects to prosper in, then agricultural production could be negatively affected. Essential functions such as nutrient cycling, decomposition of organic matter, pest and disease control and pollination are all maintained by a wide range of populations in and near agricultural ecosystems. Increased nutrient availability and improved water – all helping us to produce better and more food - can be the result of building on and enhancing these functions.

Moving on to agricultural productivity to have a closer look at how biodiversity helps food production.

Conservation and management of broad-based genetic diversity has been supporting the improvement of agriculture for 10,000 years. It is

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this broad base of diversity that has enabled agriculture to sustain increasing populations over the years. At the same time, this diversity has provided the resilience within agricultural ecosystems, so they have the capacity to recover from environmental stress and to evolve.

This capacity to evolve has given us the diversity which can solve pest and disease problems.

We have in the Pacific a perfect example of “diversity to the rescue”. In Samoa in 1993 taro production was severely affected by the fungus disease, taro leaf blight (TLB). Taro was the main staple food in Samoa as well as a lucrative cash crop, with exports worth ST $15 million annually. TLB wiped out the entire taro industry in a matter of months, raising food security concerns, and significantly reducing export revenues, which affected the nation’s foreign reserves. Across the food sector, taro was soon replaced by less nutritious starchy staples in the form of instant noodles and rice. The disease spread rapidly throughout the country severely affecting all local varieties. However, its impact was the most severe on the variety Niue, which was unfortunate as this was the variety of choice for commercial production. The area planted with taro Niue at the time was extremely large and effectively ensured a monocrop situation comprising a highly susceptible variety. For a while it looked like taro could no longer be the food of choice in Samoa. However, Samoa managed to revive its taro production by introducing new varieties from outside of Samoa. A variety from the Philippines proved to be resistant to TLB, as did a variety from Palau. These varieties, and other varieties from outside Samoa, formed the basis of a breeding programme for TLB-resistant varieties.

Without the input of these new varieties, that is agricultural biodiversity, Samoa would still be without its taro, a crop not only valued as a food crop but an essential part of Samoan culture.

The need for diversity becomes far more apparent when we think of how agriculture will adapt to climate change. The negative impact of climate change on agriculture, and thus on the production of food, could well place at risk all other efforts to mitigate and adapt to new climate conditions.

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Farmers will come across problems never before experienced: far greater weather variability, increases in average temperatures, increases in the numbers of extremely hot days, shorter growing seasons, far greater moisture stress, added salinity from salt water incursion and irrigation systems, and new combinations of pests and diseases.

Agriculture has to adapt to this wide range of challenges without any real idea of exactly what the weather pattern will be – unpredictability is perhaps the most demanding of the challenges. The Pacific is particularly vulnerable in this respect in that our food security is dependent on crops that do not get the research attention of crops such as wheat and maize.

With these more global crops, there is significant funding being channelled to international research institutes to determine the impact of climate change through climate modelling and also in both conventional and non-conventional breeding programmes. To some extent we are on our own and more reliant on the traditional practices that has sustained agriculture in the Pacific for generations, and those traditional practices have centred round diversity.

The only solution for adaptation is agricultural biodiversity – this biodiversity, in particular crop diversity, is the raw material for adaptation, which will enable farmers to continue to produce food. There is

no single characteristic, no one climate change gene that can ensure adaptation across the board. In the Pacific we have significant crop diversity, albeit in some countries more than others. However, through regional sharing mechanisms, such as the regional genebank at the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC Centre for Pacific Crops and Trees), we can access crop diversity that does not exist in our own country and importantly in our own region.

We have discussed the benefits of agricultural biodiversity to food production and also to the wider ecosystem services. Are there other benefits? Agricultural biodiversity can also improve our health. Obviously the maintenance of water quality is important to our well-being but through choosing what we consume, we can significantly improve our nutritional status, which has beneficial effects on our health. Serious health problems have emerged throughout the Pacific as a result of lifestyle changes. These changes include the trend towards increased consumption of imported foods of poor nutritional quality and at the same time, a neglect of traditional food systems.

Rates of diabetes and other noncommunicable diseases are escalating, while micronutrient deficiencies, including vitamin A deficiency and anaemia also exist. The presence of both of these types of nutritional disorders has been termed the “double burden of malnutrition”. Growing and

consuming local island foods offer an opportunity to improve the nutritional status and health of Pacific communities.

Some excellent work conducted by Dr Lois Englberger of the Island Food Community of Pohnpei has clearly shown the nutritional benefits that can be gained by thinking about which variety of banana to eat. The right choice can greatly increase the level of beta-carotene consumed, and thereby boosting our Vitamin A levels and our general immune system.

In talking about agricultural biodiversity we must not forget the variety of living organisms that maintain our soils. Using agricultural practices that build on existing ecological processes such as soil conservation, and biological pest control, and utilizing systems that include crop and livestock diversity, can reduce the need for fertilizers and pesticides, thereby preserving the health of the agricultural ecosystem, and ensuring food production into the future.

When you think about the benefits that agricultural biodiversity can bring at the individual, local, national and regional level, and beyond that globally, every effort has to be made to promote its conservation, and importantly its utilization. At the local level, the diversity found within a home garden can be increased through growing a range of crops and also not the same variety of one crop. With sweet potato, for example, there is the very tasty orange fleshed variety that provides health benefits with every bite.

Growing different crops and varieties ensures a diverse healthy diet, and food on the table regardless of the weather patterns. At the national level, using practices that safeguard and sustainably utilize agricultural biodiversity will secure food production, and at the same time, support a healthy population.

Surely there cannot be anything more important than agricultural biodiversity, a “commodity” that sustains life?

For more information on agricultural biodiversity, please contact Dr Mary Taylor, Adviser, Plant Genetics Resources and Manager, Centre for Pacific Crops and Trees (CePaCT): MaryT@spc.int.

The Samoa taro breeding programme benefited from agrobiodiversity through the introduction of a diverse genepool of taro varieties as parent material. volume 6 number 2 - August 2010

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The future is here; dialogue for setting the direction for atoll food production, research and development

Atoll Agricultural Conference T

he Government of Kiribati — through the Ministry of Environment, Land and Agriculture Development — hosted the 2010 Atoll Agricultural Conference with the theme, ‘The future is here; dialogue for setting the direction for atoll food production, research and development’.

The conference brought together representatives of agriculture ministries from across the Pacific as well as nongovernmental organisations, and farmer and private sector stakeholders to discuss the future of atoll agriculture. The agriculture ministers of Kiribati and Tuvalu also attended. The conference was held at the Otintaai Hotel, in South Tarawa, Kiribati from 26–30 April 2010, and was financially supported by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the Food and Agriculture Organization, and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC). Key development partners included the University of the South Pacific, the Taiwan Technical Mission, the World Vegetable Centre and the United Nations Development Programme.

Conference communiqué Delegates and representatives of the Atoll Agricultural Conference wish to endorse the recommendations and key strategic directions identified during the meeting.

The conference was guided by the remarks of Kiribati’s Minister for Environment, Lands and Agricultural Development, the Hon Amberoti Nikora, who noted, “The atolls face extraordinary challenges due to the poor composition of soil.

Climate change, in particular sea level rise, exacerbates these difficulties. Each country’s experiences, knowledge and approaches in developing agriculture differ. To effectively adapt, we need to share skills, knowledge and experiences.

The survival of atoll agriculture depends largely on cooperation and partnerships.”

Tuvalu’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, the Hon Tavau Teii also attended, and stated, I have chosen to come to this particular atoll conference because of its uniqueness, timeliness, and its emphasis on atolls, which I have to say is one of the first of its kind for many years. It is also in the interest of my government and people for my presence to learn from other atolls, but also to share some of our experiences and developments, for the common good and interest of our atoll communities, and to participate in working together with everyone in this conference, on a way forward to further enhance our atoll food security and our people’s sustainable livelihoods.

The overall objective of the conference was to map the way forward for the Kiribati-based Centre of Excellence for Atoll Agriculture Research and Development that was established through an IFAD grant in 2008.

Centre of Excellence for Atoll Agriculture Research and Development The objectives of the Centre of Excellence are to 1) establish a knowledge base on atoll agriculture with the participation of farmers themselves, 2) improve management for atoll agriculture, and 3) develop institutional

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capacity for the Centre’s sustainability.

A key strategic direction identified by conference participants was the need for developing an effective governance structure for the Centre in order to ensure ongoing strategic guidance and accountability to stakeholders. This was recognised as a critical development towards sustainability as was the need to ensure that the Centre is well linked with other research centres and existing agriculture practitioner networks, such as the Pacific Islands Extension Network, the Pacific Agriculture and Forestry Network, and the Pacific Organic and Ethical Trade Community.

The conference recommended that the Centre of Excellence focus on the following themes: • Research: Address the specific challenges of atoll food production and environmental sustainability in light of climate change issues.

• Development: Address the most pressing development needs of atolls including food and nutritional security, climate change mitigation and sustainable management of the environment.

• Trade: Enhance livelihood opportunities for atoll farmers through facilitating domestic and international trade.

• Partnership: Build strategic partnerships at national, regional and international levels to ensure that the goals of the Centre are met to the benefit of atoll farmers.

• Capacity building: Build the Centre’s institutional capacity for sustainability and also the Centre’s contribution to building enhanced human resource capacity within atoll countries.

Next steps Outcomes of the conference will be presented to the SPC Heads of Agriculture and Forestry meeting in September 2010 in order to further bring to the forefront the development challenges of atolls.

Our development partners, leaders of atoll countries, and larger countries with atolls are encouraged to foster the development of the Centre of Excellence in order to address the pressing and challenging conditions of atoll food production and environmental sustainability.

For more information, please contact lrdhelpdesk@spc.int.

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EU-FACILITATING AGRICULTURE COMMODITY TRADE (FACT)

Training supports development of VCO

by Vinesh Prasad, FACT Information Assistant

A

three-day workshop on quality assurance and processing standard of virgin coconut oil (VCO) was conducted at Secretariat of the Pacific Community’s (SPC) Community Education and Training Centre in Narere, Nasinu (Fiji) from 21st to 23rd June, 2010.

The workshop which was funded

by European Union and facilitated

by SPC’s Land Resources Division (LRD) invited 18 participants from Fiji including Rabi Island.

Free Lance International Consultant on Coconut Processing and Utilization DIVINA D. BAWALAN from Philippines, conducted the training supported by project staff from EU funded Facilitating Agriculture Commodity Trade (FACT).

According to Ms Bawalan, the Roundtable Meeting on the State of the Art of Coconut Processing and Market Prospects of Coconut Products in the Pacific Countries held in Fiji on June 17 -18, last year highlighted the need of Pacific countries to focus on the production of high value products for livelihood enhancement.

“The current training course is a follow-up from that basic training module on the Processing of VCO, its by-products and downstream products, focusing on good manufacturing practices and quality assurance system that needs to be applied in the processing of VCO to meet international standards.”

Ms Bawalan added that understanding coconut oil and its quality parameters, that entails physical and chemical characteristics of coconut oil is very important because standards of VCO are directly related to it.

“Also having sound understanding of the technology involved will enable them to attend to queries raised by their buyers.”

Dr Lex Thomson, Team leader of FACT project assured the participants that SPC FACT strongly supports VCO production in the Pacific including Fiji.

“SPC FACT is committed to develop VCO not only in Fiji but in the Pacific as this will not only benefit the private sector but also the grass roots.”

“One thing about VCO, it could even be produced by the women in the most remote parts of Fiji - there is no necessity for big capital and machines using the fermentation method,” Dr Thomson said

“FACT project is providing technical assistance to several private entrepreneurs through EU support, including especially Origins Pacific Ltd here in Fiji and Pacific Spices in PNG.

“FACT is also supporting the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) certification, a food safety process, which is now one of the requirements demanded by the market.”

He acknowledged the support of European Union through Pacific Regional Economic Integration Program, Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and the Ministry of Primary Industries for promoting the development of VCO in Fiji. .

Strengthening food safety and compliance in northern Pacific

by Apiame Cegumalua, Export Processing Marketing Officer, FACT

C

reating awareness and building capacity in the Food Safety Program and Compliance in food processing were the objectives of a training exercise funded by the EU-Pacific Regional Economic Integration Programme (PACREIP) under the Forum Pacific Islands (FPIs) for the northern Pacific.

The training was conducted by Ms Apiame Cegumalua, and Manasa Katonivualiku of the Fiji-based EUFacilitating Agriculture Commodity Trade (EU-FACT) of the Land Resources Division of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community. The training was conducted in June, 2010.

The one week training in each Island state under the EU- PACREIP Funding which now includes Kosrae state, generated a lot of interests not only from those involved in food processing but particularly those involved with food inspection, monitoring and implementation and have the authority to provide Food Handling Certificate or

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permit or licence to operate. This extra layer of specialists became a huge benefit to the EU PACRIEP funded training project.

The SPC subregional office in Pohnpei helped in organising the training.

The training is a timely follow up to the EU-FACT funded program and Development Sustainable Agriculture Projects (DSAP, Pohnpei) on capacity building in Food Processing and Product Development carried out in September and October, 2009 which covered the Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI), Pohnpei and Palau.

The Food Safety Authority in FSM benefited with a greater appreciation of the role they play in food inspection as well as monitoring of processing premises before issuing Food Handling Permits to processors.

The training format comprised of presentations, practical exercises and developing of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) for better understanding.

Briefly at RMI, pandanus baby food development continued for the EU FACT Enterprise Robert Reimers Ent (RRE) with GMP for the pandanus process re-emphasised. For the island state of Kosrae, the training activity was a follow up to the EU FACT work carried out in March 2010 on the taro flour processing for export. More emphasis on GMP with taro processing and identifying local produce for export.

For Pohnpei, the active participation and contribution by the Environmental Protection Agencies (EPAs), Health officials, the Small Business Enterprise Centre and the CETC graduates was a highlight to the training. The week’s training at Pohnpei facilitated the integration and interlinking of relevant stakeholders for food safety standard development and compliance. In the state of Palau, another enthusiastic group of small business entrepreneur and trainers keen to adapt the GMP in their operation.

It is anticipated that small business entrepreneurs attending the training in these island states at FSM and RMI and Palau will now produce safe food not only for consumers but will from now on promote food safety with their counterparts for exports. It is envisaged that more training is to be carried out in the future as funding permits, for those involved with issuing Food Safety licensing or permits.

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Regional participants to the Pacific media summit visited a community reforestation project in the interior of Viti Levu......up to 30% of the national gross domestic product (GDP) in some Pacific states comes from the agricultural sector.

Media and ICT can help strengthen national extension services

by Emil Adams, Publications Officer, LRD.

R

adio remains a viable and costeffective medium for disseminating information on agriculture and rural development to the Pacific’s remote and geographically challenged islands.

Radio provides up to 90% coverage in most Pacific Island countries, and is the most common way that most rural communities receive information.

However, lack of funds for programming and poor reception in very remote islands can hinder the use of radio for communication.

In a recent workshop on Pacific media and agriculture and rural development held in Fiji in May 2010, presentations from Fiji and Kiribati clearly indicated that radio is the ideal medium for communication, given both countries’ many scattered outer islands. Even larger Pacific Islands have isolated inland villages, some of which are accessible only by hours of travel on horseback, and where radio is the only source for information.

Radio and other forms of media play a key role in bringing agriculture information to poor, rural communities.

Vanuatu has five radio programmes every week on agriculture ranging from market information to talk-back shows covering agriculture, fisheries, livestock and

quarantine. Kiribati airs an agricultural radio programme fortnightly, and Tonga has three weekly three agricultural radio programmes each week..

Agriculture in the Pacific is a significant contributor to rural employment and food security, and is a foreign exchange earner. Up to 30% of the national gross domestic product (GDP) in some Pacific states comes from the agricultural sector. Agriculture accounted for over 50% of the Solomon Islands GDP in 2006. Most Pacific Island countries have large rural populations, with an estimated 15% of the population engaged in formal employment. Agriculture’s contribution to Pacific Island economies goes far

face challenges because of the scarcity in human, financial and physical resources.

The need ‘to do more for less’ is a realty, and partnering with the media can help enhance extension services. The extension officer to farmer disparity points to challenges in delivering information.

In Papua New Guinea, the ratio is one extension officer per 3,600 people, and in some parts of the northern Solomon Islands this ratio is 1 per 14,000. For medium size islands such as Samoa and Tonga, the ratio is closer to 1 per 800 people. Extension work is further hampered by a lack of transport, or lack of fuel for transport.

The production of extension information is the task of the information units

beyond simply the production of crops and livestock. The multiplier effects of agriculture on the rest of the economy can be many times more than that shown on quantities of primary production alone.

The delivery of information, technical advice and agricultural skills training for farmers rests with national extension services. However, extension activities are typically given a low priority across the Pacific.

Ms Jemiama Garrett of Radio Australia conducting an interview. Moses Stevens, PINA President looks on in the Extension work continues to

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background.

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of national ministries of agriculture.

However, the capacity of national agricultural information units to provide this service have diminished over the years because the service is made redundant, or because these activities have been absorbed into other technical divisions following structural reforms implemented by national governments in the 1990s.

Research and development on agriculture is carried out at government research facilities. Increasingly, researchers are adopting a holistic and participatory approach, recognising farmers’ input into research and carrying out on-farm trials. The media and information and communication technology (ICT) can help facilitate the link between research and extension.

Farmers groups are formed in some Pacific Islands to help screen new crop varieties for taste, yield and production qualities. The farmers group ‘Taro Improvement Project’ (TIP), based at the University of the South Pacific (Samoa campus) screens new varieties of taro being bred at the Alafua campus against the fungal disease, taro leaf blight.

TIP farmers have identified more than 10 varieties of taro that taste good and are suitable for marketing. Planting material for the new taro varieties are being propagated by selected farmers for distribution to other farmers. (For more information on the taro improvement programme, please contact TIP coordinator, Tolo Iosefa: Iosefa_t@samoa.usp.ac.fj).

Partnering with the media offers an alternative for extension agencies to continue with one of their core functions — disseminating information. However, this might be a challenge for smaller atoll countries such as those in Micronesia where media outlets are limited or nonexistent. The increasingly important role of the media calls for a closer working relationship with extension workers.

Extension officers should also be responsive to new innovations emanating from farmers. ICT can be used to capture or record these innovations and bring them to a national forum in order to share them with farmers from elsewhere.

The Pacific media summit in May recognised the need for media workers to develop trust and a greater appreciation of efforts in rural development work.

Conversely, extension needs to be aware of the operations of the media industry, how information is collected and reported, what is considered to be

priority news, how agriculture is reported in the news, and more.

In light of the constraints of human and financial resources and geographical distances, the media and ICT are being promoted as valuable tools in the delivery of extension information.

Increasingly, ICT is being regarded as a tool for sustainable development and poverty reduction.

Mobile phones offer another potential for extension workers, with estimates of up to 50% of Pacific Islanders having access to mobile phones.

Mobile phones could help extension workers disseminate information on crop pricing or pests and diseases to farmers.

In Tonga, a pilot exercise is underway using mobile phones to link farmers and extension officers. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) is helping develop an efficient market information system and a user-friendly platform to disseminate information via mobile phones.

UNCTAD supports the establishment of a regional information hub that would be based at SPC.

Recognising the important role the media and ICT plays in assisting extension and information dissemination, participants at the Pacific Extension Summit put forward the following strategies for using ICT and the media in extension transformation.

1. Never use ICT as a standalone strategy. It is one of many tools to use in extension work, but the value of face-toface communication must not be forgotten.

2. Link round-table media capacity training to major agriculture and forestry events such as the Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry and Heads of Agriculture and Forestry meetings to increase the level of reporting on agriculture and forestry in local media.

3. Identify opportunities for capacity building in media production skills for extension officers. Because many Pacific

volume 6 number 2 - August 2010

Group discussion session.....the media and ICT are being promoted as valuable tools in the delivery of extension information

Island countries and territories have non-functional information units, extension officers need basic training in communication skills such as writing press releases for newspapers and radio, interviewing skills, publication and video production skills, and using ICT for extension work.

4. Develop strategies on media convergence and explore cost-effective ICT that will increase intensity and diversity of media coverage of extension activities.

5. Broaden media formats to include: • radio talk shows, using local celebrities and/or champions; • local news on TV and newspapers; • partnerships with other relevant sectors such as health, education, rural development, to co-sponsor media (.....cont’d on pg 10)

Participants were hosted to a luncheon by the Tokaimalo community.

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PACIFIC MEDIA SUMMIT...frm

pg 9

programmes; • DVDs on agricultural practices; • mobile phones and telecentres; • establish a help desk to improve extension services; • high frequency radio for outer islands; and • the Internet and email groups; and OLPC. 6. Encourage media groups at national and regional levels to assist with information dissemination. Some of these groups include: Journalists Association of Western Samoa, Pacific Islands News Association, PACNEWS, Islands Business, Radio New Zealand International, Radio Australia, and Pacific Regional Organisations Media Officers. Encourage participation and send out press releases on national and regional agricultural events, famer field days, agricultural shows, workshops, farmer success stories, and environmental and health issues. The purpose of these measures is to promote the formation of media focus groups that are specific to agriculture and rural development, as a means of addressing the lack of specialised media reporting in this sector.

7. Establish media awards that acknowledge and encourage agricultural reporting.

8. Incorporate a media component into national agriculture and forestry strategies to allow for the dissemination of outputs and reporting of best practices.

9. Develop partnerships with international organisations, local funding agencies, business houses, and non-governmental organisations to co-fund newspaper supplements, TV programmes, video documentaries, and

radio broadcasts of field days.

The Technical Centre for Agriculture and Rural Development (CTA) has organised several information and communication workshops and seminars for Pacific ACP member states in the past and in collaboration with SPC’s Land Resources Division.

The focus on the role of the media in agriculture and rural development was the highlight of a seminar held in Brussels, Belgium in October 2009 (http://annualseminar2009.cta.int), where over 200 representatives of the media industry and rural development practitioners from ACP countries gathered for discussion on the topic. The seminar aimed to encourage the media to give greater prominence to agriculture in ACP countries. Media orgnisations through capacity building can facilitate awareness, learning and action to address major challenges in agricultural and rural development. SPC coordinated the participation of Pacific representatives to the seminar.

The Pacific media and agriculture meeting in May 2010 is an outcome of the Brussels meeting, and the Pacific became the first member of ACP region to conduct a follow-up workshop. Participants to the Pacific meeting comprised local and regional media organisations and heads of national extension services. An email group has been formed to facilitate communication between the media and extension workers, and for summit organisers SPC and CTA, to monitor growth in media coverage of agriculture and rural development issues. Meeting participants also developed national plans to increase synergies between the media and agriculture through networking and capacity building. The Pacific Islands News Association has been tasked with helping coordinate media training for regional extension officers.

A similar effort to increase media coverage — but focusing on the environment, including the impact of climate change — is currently being coordinated by the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme.

Bill Jaynes (Kaselehlie Press, FSM) and Keni Lesa (Samoa Observer) take in the sights during the field trip to the interior of Viti Levu.

volume 6 number 2 - August 2010

CTA Launches the Peoples’ Choice Photo Contest on ‘People, Water and ICTs’ Take part in the Peoples’ Choice Photo Contest on ‘People, Water and ICTs’ and share your photos with the world. The Grand Prize is a Digital SLR and the opportunity to participate, all expenses paid, to the CTA Annual Seminar in Pretoria, South Africa from 22-26 November 2010.

It’s EASY TO ENTER and it’s FREE! Just upload your photos in the following categories: • People and water (water use, including ACP coping mechanisms with respect to water or lack of it); • Technology and water (information and communication technology (ICT) and information and communication management (ICM); • Water and environment (role of water and climate change in agricultural and rural development).

For more information on the contest, visit the seminar website to post your photo or, once voting starts, to vote for your favourite photo. See the Contest rules and regulations for details or contact us at ctaseminar2010@cta.int.

Don’t forget that Registration, Call for Papers, Exhibition and Sponsorship information are also now available on the seminar website: Register now!

Registration for both sponsored and selfsponsored individuals and organisations is available online until 30 September 2010.

Sign up before 16 August 2010 to take advantage of the Early Bird discounts. Get online and reserve your place.

Send in your Abstracts!

The Call for Papers (oral, poster or multi-media presentation) is open until 30 September 2010. Click here for detailed information on the requirements and guidelines on how to submit your proposal or abstract and here to send your paper.

Exhibit your products and services to ACP decision makers!

Find out how you can present research, products and applications through demonstrations.

Participation will be highly rewarding and offers a unique opportunity to showcase your organisation to a highly-targeted audience comprising over 250 ACP decision makers and influencers.

Become a Sponsor Take advantage of a variety of sponsorship opportunities to enhance your organisation’s dedication, image and standing in the area of water management.

For more information, visit the seminar website at http://annualseminar2010.cta.int or contact ctaseminar2010@cta.int

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Land Resources News

Pacific youth in agriculture strategy consultation

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one-day consultation on the Pacific Youth in Agriculture Strategy was held on Thursday 8th July 2010, in Suva at Studio 6 Conference Room.

The public meeting in Fiji kicked off a 3-week Pacific wide consultation to seek views from relevant stakeholders on the recommendations made to increase youth participation in agriculture in the Pacific. The purpose of the youth in agriculture strategy is to recommend actions and initiatives that all stakeholders can pursue to encourage the active engagement of youth in agriculture across the region and the development of young agricultural entrepreneurs.

Speaking at the opening of the public consultation seeking youths view, SPC Land Resources Division head of forestry and trees Mr Sai Bulai said that Pacific youth comprise about 20% of the total population of Pacific Island countries and territories and their proportion is projected to grow at an annual rate of 2.2%.

“This rapid rise in the number of young people will increase demands for essential social services such as education and health, and for employment opportunities.

“Many young people in the region already struggle to find formal employment when they leave the education system. Agriculture has often been regarded as a fall-back option – something to do if you don’t find anything else. But with high-levels of youth unemployment, increasing pressure on urban areas and high food import bills should we not be doing more to encourage, support and empower our young people to realise the full potential of a career in agriculture?

And in the process help to improve food security, livelihood opportunities in rural areas and reduce pressure on urban areas.

“Agriculture is not for everyone – not everyone wants to be a farmer.

But our youth who are seeking to make agriculture a career should be supported – at the family and community level, within the church, and from extension services. We should strengthen technical and vocational education to help support young farmers meet their personal development goals,” said Mr Bulai.

Mr Bulai said times are changing and we must recognize what modern society demands. The increasing integration of the cash economy with our traditional way of life demands that we equip our young people with the necessary skills to manage this transition.

As part of the strategy development process, sessions on youth in agriculture were held at the Pacific Youth Festival in 2009 and field work was conducted in three countries (Fiji, Kiribati and Tonga) to inform the strategy recommendations. This public consultation provides an opportunity for all interested stakeholders to provide their views on the issue and recommended actions. It also aims to further collect examples of successful case studies of youth in agriculture with good potential for replication.

The Pacific Youth in Agriculture Strategy will be presented at the next Heads of Agriculture and Forestry Services (HOAFS) meeting in September 2010 and the Ministers of Youth in October 2010 for their endorsement and to take back and adapt to the national level.

The development of the Youth in Agriculture Strategy responds to a request by the Ministers of Agriculture to examine this issue in more detail and is an initiative of the Pacific Agriculture and Forestry Policy Network (PAFPNet) in partnership with the Human Development Programme of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community.

For further information, please contact lrdhelpdesk@spc.int

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WHAT THEY SAID......

‘We need to change the negative perceptions that are everywhere – whether in the village, school, town.

For most people agriculture is their last option. Many community elders hold on to the land titles which means that during their most productive age, many young farmers have no access to land. We need to be innovative and creative – we can’t keep producing the same crops using the same techniques that we’ve been using for the past few decades and expect to compete – we need to diversify,’ Livai Tora, Kokosiga Project Officer.

‘We need to empower communities to provide extension services – train them to be the arm of the extension service in the village. More effort is needed to improve coordination between different rural development service providers – collaboration is currently mostly adhoc.’ Jalesi Mateboto, SPC agricultural officer.

‘There are no strong youth platforms that can act as a watchdog for our interests – we need to strengthen institutions such as the Pacific Youth Council.’ Vana, Department of Youth.

‘We need to provide young people with incentives. In schools no one ever sees the money for their agricultural work. Right now we do agriculture to plant, eat and share – we need to put more emphasis on income generation. We can’t look at youth in agriculture separately – need to link with the broader youth development issues. Many of the issues such as youth self-confidence are not agriculture specific. We need to build the capacity of the person first.’ Aminiasi Driu, SPCCETC agricultural officer.

‘Agriculture at school is mostly the theory side – not the practical side. We just had small plots near the school but in my village most of the farmer is on sloping land and we were never taught anything about contour farming techniques.’

Sainimare Sagawale ‘The curriculum needs to inform students about all the options available to them.

Not just prescribe the use of chemicals but also inform them of the damage that chemicals can do and organic agriculture solutions.’ Lynda Miller, Fiji Organics.

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EU AAACP News

Farming as a business and the role of farmer associations

by Tim Martyn, LRD Resource Economist

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hat role should farmer associations play in assisting their members to increase their earnings through improved marketing, certification and support? And how can we ensure that the work of farmers associations can be sustained? To answer these questions, SPC LRD, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and Nature’s Way Co-operative combined to work with, and hear from, farmer groups from across the Pacific region.

Held in Nadi, Fiji 3rd – 7th May 2010, the training, funded under the EU All Africa Caribbean and Pacific Agricultural Commodities Program (AAACP) also recognised the role of new information and communication technologies in accessing and disseminating market information.

The training, organised by FAO and Nature’s Way Cooperative of Fiji, focussed on the role of farmer organisations and networks in linking small farmers to markets. In addition, the training provided Pacific farmer organisations with a better understanding on marketing as well as learning management skills in operating in a business environment.

Participants included representatives from the Melanesian Farmers First network, Kastom Gardens from Solomon Islands, Samoa’s Women in Business, Samoan

Farmers Association, the Farm Support Association of Vanuatu, the Vanuatu Organic Cocoa Growers Alliance, Nature’s Way Co-operative of Fiji, Tutu of Fiji, South Sea Orchids of Fiji, Tongan Growers Federation, and the Rarotonga Nita Growers association from the Cook Islands. Representatives from the Niue Department of Agriculture and the PNG Highlands Group, as well as Fiji FRIEND and the Fiji ACIAR Papaya Project also participated.

SPC provided information on the topics farming as a business and the costs of maintaining organic certification, the costs and benefits of Fair Trade certification, and some of the new types of fair trade certifications emerging, understanding and implementing Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) principles in agricultural processing, and the emergence of new technologies and opportunities for the implementation of better Market Information Systems.

Other key issues and themes to emerge from the training include ‘key person dependency’ and the need to get young people and the next generation actively involved; problems Pacific Island farmer networks face meeting their operational costs, and meagre financing opportunities available; the importance of diversifying income sources for

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growers, by marketing multiple crops in different seasons; the dangers of ‘sideline selling’ by members and the need to discipline members who engage in this activity; the limited access Pacific Islanders enjoy to major trading partners markets, such as Australia, because of overly restrictive quarantine regulations, and the opportunities to address these; the importance of marketing to domestic consumers, in particular tourists; the importance of avoiding taking on too many overhead costs and poor cash flow; the real opportunities provided by certification (organic, fair trade, etc) but the difficulties PIC farmer groups will have in meeting and maintaining certification obligations, because of their small size and capacity; the need for PIC governments to regulate imports of inferior and expired food products, which are displacing local produce; the importance of establishing enduring relationships with commercial out growers, by maintaining standing orders and being understanding of supply difficulties, as well as providing extension support; by assisting growers to meet demand specifications; and the need to engage and empower individual growers and families, rather than communities or other hypothetical groups which don’t tend to define how Pacific growers organise.

Finally, co-ordinating production and demand cycles by engaging with middlemen and buyers and incorporating demand information into growers’ production practices would be one area of work PIC farmer networks should engage in: “improve your middleman” rather than demonising middle men and other key intermediate actors who are instrumental in matching supply with demand; farmers and farmer networks should focus on their area of expertise – farming – and not divide their energies amongst too many supply chain functions.

The workshop concluded with the FAO providing a commitment to continue to support farmer networks in the Pacific with capacity building and further training under the EU AAACP project. Under the programme FAO will offer bilateral support, in addition to further regional activities. In the meantime SPC will provide ad hoc support to countries and organisations that request it.

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BIOSECURITY

Biosecurity training for Nauru and Kiribati

by Roy Masunda, Biosecurity and Trade Facilitation Officer, LRD

We need to be aware of the negative impact of introduced exotic organisms on the health of plants, animals, humans and the environment.

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wenty quarantine, research and extension officers from Nauru and Kiribati attended a one-week training course to improve their knowledge and skills in effective border control and management. The training is intended to strengthen their capacity in biosecurity operations, to minimise the risk of entry of exotic pests and diseases including invasive species. The officers were recently engaged to provide biosecurity services at their national borders.

The course was held in Tanaea, Tarawa, Kiribati, from 7 to 12 June, 2010, and provided by the two SPC technical officers, plant pathologist Tony Gunua, and biosecurity and trade facilitation officer, Roy Masamdu.

The training was funded under by the Pacific Agreement on Closer Economic Relations (PACER) Regional Trade Facilitation Programme under the quarantine support programme.

In her opening remarks, the permanent secretary for the Ministry of Environment, Lands and Agriculture Development, Ms Tarsu Murdoch, reminded the participants of fragile Pacific environments.

‘We need to be aware of the negative impact of introduced exotic organisms on the health of plants, animals, humans and the environment.

Therefore we need to strengthen our border operations to prevent introduction of new pests and diseases,’ she said.

The training workshop covered aspects of aircraft and vessel inspection, pest and disease surveillance, import regulatory systems, pest incursion and response and export facilitation.

The negative effect of transboundary animal diseases, plant pests and invasive alien species was stressed especially for small and vulnerable island states with inadequate resources to respond to incursions. Border inspections therefore must be thorough and effective.

The workshop was officially closed by the Minister for Environment, Lands and Agriculture Development, Hon Amberoti Nikora, who presented participants with workshop certificates.

Present at the closing ceremony were the two permanent secretaries, Mrs Murdoch of MELAD, and Ms Matereta B. Raiman of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Cooperative Services.

For more information, please contact lrdhelpdesk@spc.int.

Review of Pitcairn Island Biosecurity

by Nacanieli Waqa, Biosecurity and Trade Facilitation Assistant, LRD

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n 2006 SPC technical assistance helped to establish a biosecurity operation on Pitcairn Island, to maintain the Island’s relatively pest free status, and prevent the incursion of new pests.

In March 2010, Pitcairn Biosecurity was reviewed. The main aims of the review team were to assess the system and identify any gaps, so that a plan could be formed to address any problems identified.

The team reviewed seaport border control activities, pest surveillance and early detection especially of fruit flies. Essential documentation, the pest identification referral system, and biosecurity equipment were also examined.

The review team began negotiating access to the markets of the Gambier Islands of French Polynesia for some of Pitcairn’s fruits and vegetables. Meetings were held between the two countries to finalise technical processes for market access.

The team also recommended updating pest surveys.

SPC Biosecurity will continue to provide the necessary technical assistance and guidance to Pitcairn Biosecurity, in order to continue to facilitate trade.

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SPC contributes to fight against termites

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he fight against the subterranean termites affecting Fiji was boosted with a contribution of $20,000 worth of equipment from the Secretariat of the Pacific Community.

SPC Land Resources Division, Inoke Ratukalou, handed over the equipment to the Operation Kadivuka team coordinating activities in Lautoka City. Mr Ratukalou said the donation was to help stop termites infestation.

“In quantifying our commitment, we noted that our bio-security and forestry technical team had continually provided advice and guidance to the taskforce,” he said.

The donation included computers, hard hats for field teams, cameras and recorders and tents.

Mr Ratukalou said the secretariat will hire the services of an expert from Australia to help with the manaagement of the termites.

“Our commitment is in line with the responsibilities stipulated in our mandate to all countries in the region.

Our bio-security concern and response on this incursion in Fiji from a regional perspective, is critical to us.

“Since our division monitors pest distribution and movements within the region, we are taking a scientific and strategic approach so that our efforts are implemented in a timely manner.

“This is to prevent the chances of termites spreading to other countries within the region.”

He said the migration of pests to other countries have negative implications on trade, especially those who export fresh produce.

“It is imperative that the biosecurity service maintains its country’s pest status.”

The termites live six to eight feet underground and cover 300 feet in radius in a compound. The termites have infested cassava plants, breadfruit trees, coconut trees, and mango trees and will have implications on food security.

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trials no other systematic research on physical or chemical methods have be undertaken in the Pacific.

Addressing the scourge of the African tulip tree Other common names for African tulip include Fountain tree, Indian Cedar, or Santo Domingo Mahogany. The all-year round production of bright red to orangey flowers makes it an attractive ornamental plant.

by Warea Orapa, Plant Health Coordinator, LRD

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he Africa tulip tree, Spathodea campanulata, is a native of equatorial Africa and belongs to the plant family, Bignoniaceae which also has the ornamental trees, Jacaranda and Tecomaria. Its common names include Fountain tree, Indian Cedar, or Santo Domingo Mahogany. The all-year round production of bright red to orangey flowers makes it an attractive ornamental plant.

The attractive flower is probably the reason for its introduction into Fiji and other Pacific Islands from the 1930s.

The African tulip tree is a fast growing softwood tree and a worst invasive tree in disturbed forests, river valleys, farmlands and forest plantations in Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tahiti, Cook Islands and a many of other Pacific Island countries.

In Fiji the tree is now naturalized in both the drier (western) and wetter (eastern) sides of the Fiji islands and widespread in moist south eastern parts of Viti Levu where shifting cultivation and forest clearance is still practiced.

The light weight seeds of African tulip make its spread rapid in winds germinating quickly in even the smallest of forest gaps created by single tree falls in native forests. Growing up to 30m tall in some areas, African tulip can easily displace a number of dominant native upland Fijian tree species many

of which reach only about 25 m in height with profound effects on their dependent assemblage of native epiphytic or arboreal flora and fauna. Limited to no studies on the ecological and economic impacts of invasive species like African tulip in the Pacific, we can only make assumptions on what such a visually aggressive species is doing to the environment, people and economy.

Control measures Chemical and Physical Control The plant protection team at the Fiji Ministry of Primary Industry has conducted limited research on herbicide efficacies using available herbicides.

They recommend three (3) herbicide formulations using Tordon Gold速(Picloram 100g/l and Triclopyr 300g/l combination), glyphosate(36% & 45% a.i.e) and a combination of 2,4-D and Dicamba.

All the formulations mixed in water can be sprayed on the tree trunks after debarking with excellent control in Fiji in 2009. Apart from these ad-hoc

The attractive flower is probably the reason for its introduction into Fiji and other Pacific Islands from the 1930s.

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Biological Control Biological control is the use of natural enemies to regulate a weed or pest population. In 2006, the Pacific Island Heads of Agriculture and Forestry urged SPC to find ways to manage the African tulip as it was becoming a major economic invasive species. While efforts have been slow due to financial constraints the SPC Land Resources Division has made significant progress into finding biological control agents which could provide a sustainable long term solution to the African tulip tree problem.

The answer lies in identifying highly adapted biological control agents (usually insects, mites and fungi) from the centre of origin of the weed. Knowing the native home range of the weed is necessary to allow for the identification of potential biological control of the pest where it originated and occurred before being spread by humans.

SPC is collaborating with the Rhodes University and the Agriculture Research Council both of South Africa to undertake locating the native home range of the African tulip populations now present in Fiji and Papua New Guinea (PNG).

Using genetic techniques to identify weed origins S. campanulata is a polymorphic species comprising of three subspecies all of which are native to central Africa.

The three subspecies, subsp. congolana, subsp. campanulata and Land Resources News

subsp. nilotica, have different native distributions. The morphological polymorphisms found within the species indicate that considerable genetic variation probably exists in the region of origin. Different plant genotypes may have varying levels of resistance to herbivorous insects and mites, making some plant genotypes or subspecies more susceptible than others to certain biological control agents. The region of origin of the weed population genotype is therefore important for the biological control programme against the weed because insects found on the closest native relative to the weed population will be the most suitable biological control candidates for use on the genotype (s) found in the Pacific.

To locate the native range of African tulip populations now invasive in the Pacific, the SPC Plant Health team is working with South African researchers as well as those in Uganda and Ghana. A study of the DNA from African tulip tree leaf samples taken from wild populations in Fiji and PNG were matched with DNA from various locations in tropical and subtropical Africa and found that the samples from West Africa showed similarities with those from PNG and Fiji although the DNA from PNG and Fiji showed some variation, indicating that the African tulip in these two countries are from West Africa but probably introduced separately.

Field Exploration for Natural Enemies In mid 2009, based on molecular matching studies conducted at Rhodes University by Iain Patterson, a Master of Science student working under the supervision of Professor Martin Hill, the first field exploratory trip to Ghana was undertaken in August and September and led by Dr Stefan Neser of the Plant Protection Research Institute of South Africa. Close to a dozen potential natural enemies of African tulip were collected in Ghana alone. These insects and a mite are being identified taxonomically and recommendations have been made to screen at least 3 of them for possible use as biological control agents in Fiji and PNG and other Pacific Islands.

Further field exploration work is planned but has been limited due to lack of funding.

For more information contact: Warea Orapa, on email: wareao@spc.int

Coconut leaf pest investigated in Solomon Islands

by Fereti Atumurirava, Plant Health Technician, LRD

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plant health mission to Santa Cruz and Malaita group of islands in Temotu Province, Solomon Islands took place in June 2010 with the aim to try and find the parasite for the coconut leaf miner pest, Promecotheca opacicollis.

The pest was first reported from Tikopia island in the Santa Cruz group in 1962. Tikopia is the eastern most island of the Santa Cruz group and is closest to Vanuatu, some 240kn away. In 2007 the pest was reported from the two island groups, Santa Cruz and Malaita.

SPC plant health assistant, Mr Fereti Atumurirava conducted the survey of the islands in Santa Cruz. The survey visited West Santa Cruz localities of Banie, Manuali and Nemba and East Santa Cruz in Nambalue and Neboi. A boat trip covered the coastal islands of Matu and Neo localities in Temotu Neo islands.

Field excursion was conducted in collaboration with agricultural staff.

A wasp, Pediobius parvulus is the natural predator and biocontrol agent for the coconut leaf miner pest. The mission collected damaged coconut leaf samples to determine presence of the wasp (photos of damage symptoms shown above, and right).

The biocontrol wasp lays its eggs inside the larvae of the coconut leaf miner pest, killing the pest as adult wasps emerge from the pest larvae.

Collected leaf samples were prepared and are now kept in special insect proof cages under a constructed shade at the post entry quarantine compound at Henderson. The temporary shelter was constructed as the national plant health facility is as yet to be completed.

Agriculture staff will monitor in the months to come the emergence of any parasites, and to verify identity of the species.

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The SPC plant health technician also visited Don Bosco vocational school compound in Tetere on the main island of Guadalcanal to investigate reported coconut leaf damage looking very similar to leaf miner damage. Mr Atu thoroughly examined the damaged coconut leaves and confirmed the reported damage is caused by Brontispa

longissima coconut pest. Brontispa larvae and adult both attack coconut leaves, especially the unfolded ones.

Whilst in Santa Cruz Mr Atu checked up on farmers who received training in a farmer field school training on control measures for taro beetle.

The farmer field school training was held in Honiara in 2007 at the completion of the ACIAR-SPC project to identify control measures for taro beetle. Farmers who received the training on applying control measures are now supplying the Honiara market with taro, a huge success story in identifying sustainable pest management strategies for major Pacific crops.

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Land Resources News

SPC/GTZ Regional Programme on Adaptation to Climate Change in the Pacific Island Region

SPC/GTZ provided technical assistance to facilitate a review of forestry during a series of consultation workshops with Vanuatu stakeholders, who represented government, industry and communities. SPC/GTZ is facilitating a coordinated approach to climate change awareness in Vanuatu as part of the Vanuatu climate change assistance.

Review of Vanuatu National Forest Policy

by Christine Fung, Land Use Planning and Facilitation Specialist/Deputy Team Leader, SPC-GTZ Suva Office.

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he Vanuatu component of the SPC/GTZ Regional Programme on Adaptation to Climate Change in the Pacific Island Region (ACCPIR) began activities with a comprehensive review of the Vanuatu National Forest Policy.

The Vanuatu forest landscape is undergoing major changes including a shift in focus from the harvest of natural forests, to the promotion of forest plantation with key timber species like whitewood (Endospermum medullosum), sandalwood (Santalum austrocaledonicum) , nangai (Canarium indicum), natapoa (Terminalia catappa – tropical almond) and mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla). Developing a policy to guide forestry development has clearly become critical in the face of current challenges including the emerging threat of climate change in the Pacific Region.

SPC/GTZ provided technical assistance to facilitate a review of forestry during a series of consultation workshops with Vanuatu stakeholders, who represented government, industry and communities. A new draft National Forestry Policy was circulated in midMay and, to ensure that sector priorities

are appropriately captured in the draft, feedback from all stakeholders will be incorporated. The intention is for the new policy to be endorsed by the Vanuatu Council of Ministers by the end of 2010.

The Vanuatu ACCPIR Steering Committee has identified three pilot sites where it will implement community-level climate change adaptation measures. Pilot activities are identified in the Vanuatu National Adaptation Programme for Action (NAPA) and include introducing climate-resistant crops, breeding for extreme weather-adapted livestock, developing community land-use plans, trialling new agroforestry and soil fertility methods and undertaking innovative climate adaptation education programmes. The activities will be directly implemented by Vanuatu GTZpartners including the Department of Agriculture, Department of Forests, Department of Quarantine & Livestock, Department of Environment and Conservation, Wan Smolbag Theatre, Live and Learn Vanuatu, the Vanuatu Farm Support Association, and the Vanuatu Agricultural Research and Technical Centre.

The Vanuatu component of the SPC/GTZ Programme is coordinated by the National Advisory Committee on Climate Change (NACCC), which

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aims to build and strengthen the capacities of the ni-Vanuatu people, and their organisations and government, to help them adapt to, and mitigate the effects of, climate change in agriculture, forestry, and land management.

SPC/GTZ is facilitating a coordinated approach to climate change awareness in Vanuatu as part of the Vanuatu climate change assistance.

Bringing together the primary climate stakeholders, ACCPIR is developing a standard “climate kit” to bring NACCC’s key messages to the people of Vanuatu. The coordination team has presented a draft version of the climate kit to workshops organised by Wan Smolbag Vanuatu, the Fisheries Department and the Vanuatu Village Based Resource Managed Areas Network.

For more information on the Vanuatu component of the Adaptation to Climate Change in the Pacific Islands Region project, or to find out how to become involved, please contact the Vanuatu Steering Committee at VanuatuClimateGTZ@gmail.com or Mobile: 5552187.

More information can be found on http://www.spc.int/lrd/Climate_Change.htm .

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Land Resources News

Pacific youth plan for climate change

by Nacanieli Speight, SPC/GTZ office

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eviving traditional knowledge on caring for the environment complemented by advances in modern science can help better prepare Pacific island communities for natural disasters and a changed environment due to climate change.

This was highlighted at the Pacifica Climate Leadership Workshop attended by young people from Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Samoa, Nauru, Fiji, New Zealand and Cook Islands. The workshop was held in Suva, Fiji, from 14 to 17 June, 2010.

The youth and climate change consultation, taking to heart the theme of ‘getting to work’, focused on awareness raising and building leadership capacity amongst young people.

Workshop discussions covered climate science and climate justice, climate policies, communications and climate leadership, using the 350.org narrative format.

Regional and Pacific leaders want more consultation with youth in planning national activities and the workshop presented an opportunity for Pacific Island youth to come together to discuss citizen-based responses to the climate emergency. Even though it took almost 100 years and an increase of 0.7 degrees Celsius for the world to react to the urgency of climate change, young

people today have acknowledged that the consequences of living in a hotter world in the next 50 to 100 years call for urgent action today.

The Pacific Islands collectively contribute less than 0.1 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, but the effects of climate change are already being felt in the Pacific. The youth of Pacific Island countries, especially those living in low-lying and coastal areas, will be most affected. Innovation is needed to mitigate climate change impacts and public-private partnerships must be established to address climate change at the community and national level.

At the end of the workshop, Pacific youth drafted national action plans on climate change and with youthful enthusiasm showed eagerness to take the plans back home for national consultation and implementation.

The first milestone for the workshop will be on 10 October 2010 (10/10/10) when participants will collectively place their action plans into the Global Work Party, which will be taking place across the world.

The Global Work Party is an idea that originated in Britain and was adopted by 350.org. The global initiative focuses on activities that can help address the impacts of climate change including tree planting, clean-up campaigns, use of eco-friendly bags, and the like.

The British High Commission and the French Embassy in Fiji have pledged their support for the implementation of the action plans.

The workshop was supported by the SPC/GTZ (German Technical Cooperation) Regional Programme on Adaptation to Climate Change in the Pacific Island Region, the European Union, the British High Commission, the French Embassy, the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, the Fiji Department of Youth and Sports, the Embassy of the United States of America and 350.org For more information, please contact:

Pacifica Climate Leadership Workshop participants. volume 6 number 2 - August 2010

lrdhelpdesk@spc.int

QUALITY PACIFIC PRODUCTS

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hoppers are increasingly making decisions between different products based on their perceptions of its quality.

But what makes a shopper think one product is of a higher quality than the one sitting next to it on the shelf? Often it is just the ability to prove the ‘quality’ claim.

To help lure shoppers into buying Pacific products, The Pacific Cooperation Foundation is developing a quality assurance model especially for products originating from the Pacific.

The quality assurance model will assess the business processes of exporters and measure the actual product against available national and international standards. Products that achieve the requirements of the model will then be able to carry the Pacific Quality Mark – True Pacific.

Senior Programme Manager, Chris Cocker and Project Manager, Stella Tanoi recently travelled to the Pacific to gather expressions of interest from Pacific exporters in becoming part of the pilot group of businesses to trial the quality assessment model and eventually become the first group to carry the True Pacific label.

Stella commented, ‘It’s so good to see how many great Pacific products are being produced in the Islands. True Pacific is going to create a market difference by giving consumers the confidence to buy Pacific and know they will be purchasing a product of proven quality.’

‘This is not a project to encourage shoppers to buy Pacific goods just for the sake of it - this is a project that is taking strides to show that Pacific goods can take on the best the world in terms of quality and is willing to prove it.’

Standards New Zealand has been commissioned to work with PCF in the development of the Pacific Quality Mark assessment model. A workshop was held in June with Pacific exporters and stakeholders. SPC was represented

by Stephen Hazelmen on behalf of POETCOM.

Stella has also been working closely with the FACT Trade Facilitator Talei Goater and colleagues to identify potential exporters and to discuss future collaborative marketing opportunities.

For more information: stella@pcf.org.nz.

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SPC advocacy to EU on behalf of SPC member countries, and the roles that would need to be adopted in terms of international expectations that animal health status be visible in order for trade to continue. He advocated increased awareness of aquatic disease risks which are likely to have implications for international trade in marine ornamental fish from the Pacific.

Dr Eduardo Leano provided an introduction to NACA (Network of

SPC staff conducting post mortem training on poultry in Tuvalu.

Improving capacity in animal health and disease reporting The Workshop aimed to train appropriate fisheries, quarantine and animal health staff in the use of the WAHIS system and animal ealth reporting procedures

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acific island countries can look forward to maintaining market access in marine products to the EU but conditional upon the establishment of improved animal health reporting in the Pacific.

This lack of animal health reporting capacity has become a specific trade facilitation issue affecting the Pacific region’s export trade in ornamental aquatic species worth approximately USD 20 million annually.

ing in the use of the WAHIS was conducted for a number of countries in July 2009 by SPC in association with OIE and FAO. However subsequent follow up has shown that additional work is required in order to strengthen countries’ ability to comply with the reporting requirements and operate the system.

In 2009 the European Union (EU) introduced new legislation requiring competent authorities to meet particular reporting requirements including mandatory country membership of the World Organisation for Animal Health

The workshop aimed to train appropriate fisheries, quarantine and animal health staff in the use of the WAHIS system and animal health reporting procedures. The workshop focused on countries currently exporting aquatic ornamentals being able to comply with OIE reporting procedures. However the training in the WAHIS system also allowed Pacific island countries and territories to demonstrate their animal health status in regard to other potential aquatic and livestock export products. The workshop helped facilitate the development of disease reporting systems in non-OIE member countries, for both terrestrial and aquatic commodities – including ornamental fish.

(OIE). At present only Fiji, Vanuatu, PNG, FSM and New Caledonia are members of OIE. SPC successfully negotiated with the EU to maintain this trade opportunity, as well as to have non-OIE members added to the list of exporting countries. However EU’s agreement is conditional upon SPC assisting these countries to increase capacity in aquatic animal health and to make regular reports through OIE’s WAHIS. OIE’s web based World Animal Health Information System (WAHIS) is the standard system for reporting a country’s animal health status. The first train-

The second workshop titled, Regional Terrestrial and Aquatic Disease Reporting Training was held in Nadi, Fiji Islands, 21 – 25 June, 2010.

The workshop was opened by Dr Ken Cokanasiga, head of LRD Animal Health and Production team.

Dr Tim Pickering of SPC Aquaculture gave an update on the outcomes of

volume 6 number 2 - August 2010

Aquaculture Centres of Asia-Pacific, Bangkok), of which SPC is an Associate Member on behalf of SPC members. He touched on the aquatic diseases capability of NACA which includes regional reference laboratories, advisory services, and training opportunities. Dr Leano also provided overviews about the main aquatic animal diseases, both IOE-listed and non-listed, likely to be of concern to the Pacific, in terms of how to diagnose these diseases and manage outbreaks.

During hands-on WAHIS training, Dr Leano provided realistic aquatic animal disease scenarios with which to try out the WAHIS system, and helped participants to make appropriate choices in filling out aquatic sections of their OIE six-monthly and annual reports.

The main outcomes from the two SPC workshops, at the completion of this second workshop on 25th June 2010, are first-time submissions to OIE of sixmonthly and annual reports (for 2008) using the online WAHIS system by participants from seven of the eight PICTs represented at the second workshop – FSM, Fiji, Kiribati, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Kingdom of Tonga, and Vanuatu.

The remaining country, PNG, prepared reports which were then “saved as draft” in the WAHIS system. These are ready for on-line submission, and will be submitted shortly subject to final checking by their country’s OIE Delegate. Four countries also submitted their reports for 2009.

The OIE reporting status of the eight participating PICTS as of 25 June 2010 is shown in Table One. The training was coordinated by SPC’s Animal Health and Production team in collaboration with the Aquaculture Section of the SPC Fisheries, Aquaculture and Marine Environments (FAME) division, with funding from the EU through the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, and from Coral Reef Initiative for the South Pacific (CRISP).

For more information, please contact lrdhelpdesk@spc.int.

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Promoting agroforestry on Kiribati’s outer islands

by Mr Ieete Temea, Agriculture Extension Officer, Agriculture Division, MELAD

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evelopment of agroforestry in Kiribati is seen as a way of improving food security. Kuria Island in Kiribati is the site of an agroforestry project aiming to integrate forest trees with food crops using local farming systems. The trees provide timber, firewood, shelter, ornamental values and herbal medicine, while food crops will include swamp taro and banana.

The project, which is a collaboration between the Division of Agriculture, Ministry of Environment, Lands and Agriculture Development (MELAD) and SPC’s Forests and Trees Programme, is targeting the outer islands.

A team consisting of Mr Cenon Padolina from SPC and two local officials from MELAD, Ms Tearimawa Natake and Mr Ieete Timea, left Tarawa for Kuria Island in May 2010 to carry out consultation and implementation of the project. The team brought with them various planting materials to be distributed to households.

After discussions between team members and the Town Mayor and Agriculture Extension Officer on the island, it was decided that the agricultural association, Uaan the aoi ma te maeu, should be the site for project activities.

Several households have been selected as demonstration sites for the agroforestry plots and more plants will be introduced to increase plant diversity at the sites. Swamp taro pits will be built and the area around the edges of the pits will be used for mixed farming, including banana and taro crops. A new site for pig pens was also discussed to enable a supply of manure for existing plantings downhill.

Because a regular supply of planting materials for phased planting is essential, group training was conducted on propagation and management of tree crops following a discussion on the subject. The group found the training very practical and acquired new farming skills. (...cont’d to next column)

Sarah Goulding of the Australian High Commision handing over seeds and farm supplies to Fiji agricultural officials for Cyclone Tomas rehabilitation efforts. SPC is helping coordinate the relief effort to help local farming communities recover from the devastation of Cyclone Tomas.

Australian relief aid assistance SPC Land Resources Division is coordinating an agricultural assistance package worth FD$290,000 for Fiji farmers affected by Cyclone Tomas in collaboration with Fiji Ministry of Primary Industry. The assistance is being provided as part of the Australian government’s AUD$2 million assistance for Cyclone Tomas rehabilitation efforts. The assistance is aimed to revive rural livelihoods post cyclone.

The assistance has provided four tones of hybrid maize seeds and 62,000 kumala cuttings. In addition, $100,000 worth of inputs will be provided to commercial taro farmers in Taveuni. The soil fertility problems in Taveuni will also be examined as part of the project. Both kumala and maize are fast growing crops and will boost food production across affected areas.

A ceremony was held in Suva in late July 2010 where the Australian High Commission’s Counsellor Development Assistance, Sarah Goulding handed over the maize, kumala and fettilizer supplies to MPI officials.

Staff from the Land Resources Division attended the handing over ceremony.

MELAD Agriculture Officer, Ms Natake, helped conduct the practical training, which ended with the group sharing the planting materials brought over by the team.

These will be planted in backyards to mark the beginning of the project.

Kuria Island in Kiribati is the site of an agroforestry project aiming to integrate forest trees with food crops using local farming systems. The trees provide timber, firewood, shelter, ornamental values and herbal medicine, while food crops will include swamp taro and banana.

volume 6 number 2 - August 2010

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The Department of Extension facilitates, develops and implements national agriculture development programmes, and champions the use of participatory approaches to extension.

Solomon Islands Extension Conference

by Michael Ho’ota, Head of Extension, MAL, Solomon Islands

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nhancing food security, generating rural employment, promoting sustainable development, conserving natural resources, and caring for the environment are the foundations of the Solomon Islands National Agriculture and Livestock Policy for 2009–2014. The policy document has become the blueprint and roadmap for the development of agriculture, and targets four main activities — cocoa and coconut production, oil palm development, rice production, and rearing small livestock and cattle.

The Department of Extension and Training of the Solomon Islands Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock held their annual extension conference in May 2010 in order to review achievements in extension work and training against outputs identified in the National Agriculture and Livestock Policy for 2009–2014.

The department facilitates, develops and implements national agriculture development programmes, and champions the use of participatory approaches to extension. The department plays a significant role in facilitating the National Rural Rice Development Programme, the National Oil Palm Development Programme, the Coconut and Cocoa Rehabilitation programmes, and the Rural Development Programme Component 2.

The annual summit was held so that extension officers could report on activities from their respective provincial centres. The Department of Extension and Training facilitates the operations of provincial agriculture training centres (in collaboration with provincial authorities), and community-based training is in collaboration with nongovernmental organisations, rural training centres, and other communitybased organisations.

The meeting was officially opened by the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, the Hon Selwyn Riumana, who challenged agriculture extension agents and stakeholders to continue improving the delivery of technical services to farmers in order to achieve enhanced food security and help alleviate poverty.

Permanent Secretary Mr Edward Kingmele introduced the National Agriculture and Livestock Policy, and referred to it as a guideline for national development. He emphasised the need to refocus the services within the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock so that they are more aligned with the new policy, which promises to revitalise the agriculture sector. In doing so, agriculture will become a vital player in food security, income generation and poverty alleviation.

The representative of the Government of Taiwan/ROC praised the continuing partnership between Taiwan and Solomon Islands and

Abbreviation: DBH, diameter at breast height SPC-LRD main donor partners are European Union (EU), AusAID, volume 6 number 2 Cooperation - August 2010 NZAid, German Technical Agency (GTZ), and Taiwan/ Republic of China

their efforts to improve agriculture. The Taiwan Technical Mission (TTM) is helping to improve productivity in rice, vegetables, ornamental plants and small livestock. These activities are coordinated closely by the Department of Extension and Training.

The Livestock Division presentation highlighted efforts to improve the quality of livestock products by imposing regulations on slaughtering and processing pork, chicken and beef. The national cattle project is aimed at reviving the cattle industry, including importing improved breeds from Australia, and re-establishing the Tenavatu Farm.

The presentation by the Quarantine Division covered efforts to protect Solomon Islands agriculture from invasive pests and diseases. Two main threats are the giant African snail and cocoa pod borer. There was also discussion on international trade agreements that Solomon Islands is signatory to and how these relate to trade.

The National Rice Development with TTM began in 1983 with the successful establishment of demonstration farms.

TTM, which is based at King George Farm, is now closely involved in the Provisional Rice Expansion Programme, with eight demonstration sites set up in nine provinces.

Two other rice development projects are currently being developed.

The presentation on the Rural Development Programme Component 2 covered efforts to improve agricultural services in four provinces (Choiseul, Western, Malaita and Temotu), focusing on closer links between Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock staff at headquarters and provincial extension staff, and to establish a National Agriculture Information System.

A presentation on assistance from the Australian Agency for International Development discussed funding for the Rural Development Support Project and the Cocoa Livelihood Improvement Programme.

Extension officers from the Department of Extension and Training identified several challenges to the efficient delivery of services and to their roles as facilitators and trainers.

These include poor communication linkages between the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock headquarters and the provinces, delays in the release of funds that affect work efficiency, the lack of operational guidelines for field activities, the lack of proper offices and staff accommodation, poor transport (e.g. outboard motors, canoes, motor-bikes, vehicles), and minimal extension information.

To increase efficiency the department encourages out-sourcing service providers as an alternative approach.

For more informnation, please contact: michaeltapa@ hotmail.com

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