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Vanuatu Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Forestry, Fisheries and Biosecurity (MALFFB) and its partners will be hosting the National Week on Tanna in August.
The event used to be known as the National Agriculture Festival.
At a meeting this week, the ministry’s executive approved the change of name from National Agriculture Festival to National Week of Agriculture to align with the Pacific Week of Agriculture.
A Technical Working Group has been established to oversee ground preparations.
The TWG comprises of all departments under MALFFB, other line departments like Trade, Industry and key stakeholders on Tanna.
“Currently, the TWG is organising farmers to prepare themselves to display their local products during the festival,” said Acting Principal Officer (PO) South, Peter Iesul.
“The week-long agriculture festival will include visitations to some main farms on Tanna.
“One of the farms in Lenakel area (Tanalkut farm), is an irrigation demonstration plot that the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) Tanna Officers are currently working on as an innovation on irrigation as water is very important in crop production targeting especially during off-season period from November to April when the weather is not favourable for vegetables to grow well thus leading to shortage of at local market supplies in Tanna and through-out the country as well.
“The aim of the irrigation demonstration plot is to set up drip and sprinkler systems and the establishment of a greenhouse or tunnel house so farmers visiting the irrigation demonstration plot can replicate similar systems back at their farms.”
Other sites include Napil and Nasi Tuan rural training centres.
Nasi Tuan is venturing into processing of peanuts and other nuts while Napil training centre provides opportunity for young people to train and invest in agriculture to assist in production and engaging young people in agriculture business,”Iesul said.
“DARD Tanna officers and TWG are working with Napil and Nasi Tuan rural training centres to ensure farmers have the opportunity to visit these centres.
“The mapping of the proposed venue being Laminu Stadium has been evaluated to indicate the locations of booths for government departments, partners and key stakeholders.
“The proposed activities of the national event will reflect on culture and traditions, organic agriculture production, resilience and improving people’s livelihood. A theme is yet to be decided.
“An awareness team comprising of government officers, key stakeholders and partners will be touring TAFEA province to provide information on the NAF and also using the media to communicate to other farmers that are unreachable in TAFEA province and the other five provinces of Vanuatu to unite farmers as they prepare for this national agriculture event.”
“We are promoting commercial farming. We want to encourage farmers to shift from subsistence farming to semi-commercial farming to commercial farming looking at other options of processing and value adding,” Iesul added.
Photo supplied Caption: MALFFB team at Tanalkut Farm, Tanna