The Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Forestry, Fisheries and Biosecurity, Matai Seremaiah, officially launched an integrated farming system model that was established at the Agriculture station on Mota Lava as a model for farmers to acquire valuable in
The Assistant Agriculture Officer (AAO) for Mota Lava, Daniel Neneth, said the main idea of this model is to encourage people to do backyard gardens as most gardens are far away from the villages.
“Integrated backyard farming is important as only a small space is needed to implement many agricultural activities to assist in maintaining food security and livelihood of people. This farming system includes feeding chickens, using chicken manure to plant vegetables, aquaculture fish farming and using its water to water the vegetables. At the end of the day we have sufficient food to feed our families.
“This is the first integrated farming system on Motalava and Torba province and the second integrated farming system was set up on Rah island,” AAO Neneth said.
With the tourism development projects in Rah island, the Vanuatu Skills Partnership, working in partnership with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Tourism Department and Livestock Department has set up the second integrated farming system to assist resort and bungalow owners to ensure vegetables are readily available at their backyard.
The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) continues to advice farmers to establish such farming system.
AAO for Motalava, Neneth, said “Many farmers are already indicating their interest so currently, DARD is working with the departments of Livestock and Fisheries to ensure the model integrated farming system at the Agriculture station is equipped with ducks, chicks and tilapia fish so that more integrated farms will be established.”
The benefit of integrated backyard farming is it increases productivity of different varieties of root crops and small livestock animals, as well as the profitability of using animal manure provides opportunity to smallholder farmers to adopt a new technology, and this approach is safe to the environment.
AAO Neneth encouraged farmers and schools around Motalava and Torba province to visit the integrated farming system at the Agriculture Station.
“Field days will be organized for students and farmers to visit the integrated farming system model and if anyone is interested, DARD officers will assist in setting up their farming system.
Vanuatu communities must fight against the impacts of climate change that is currently affecting us and to ensure it does not affect our food security, thus the only way is to come up with farming systems that are resilient to changes in the weather pattern.
Growing population pressure on small islands like Motalava with limited land for farming, burdens their food and nutrition security the integrated backyard farming model is suitable to address these challenges.