AGRICULTURE is one of the sectors that was hard hit during the ethnic crisis from 1998-2003.
This was highlighted recently by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Lau-Mbaelelea and Minister of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL), Augustine Auga, in his contribution to the debate on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Final Report.
He told Parliament that at the height of the tension between 1998 to 2000, the agriculture sector was severely affected.
He said most of the large commercial plantations in Guadalcanal and the Western Province were deserted after all the workers ran away and operations were subsequently closed down.
These included the Livestock Development Authority (LDA), the Agriculture Research Centre at Dodo Creek, the Coconut Plantation at Mamara, the Aquaculture Farm in Northwest Guadalcanal, the Solomon Islands Plantation Limited (SIPL) operation in North Central Guadalcanal and the Kolombangara Forest Plantations Limited in the Western Province.
“During this period, the agriculture sector had been severely affected and collapsed,” he said.
In this post-conflict era, Minister Auga said it is important for everyone to work hard on their land to grow more crops like cocoa, vanilla, noni, chilli, ginger and other agriculture products to feed the people of the nation and economically benefit from their sales.
By MOFFAT MAMU
