PRIME Minister (PM) Jeremiah Manele has announced two agriculture projects for Malaita in partnership with the Chinese government focusing on commercial rice farming and cultivating high-value cash crops.
He outlined the projects during the province’s 41st Second Appointed Day anniversary in Auki last Thursday.
PM Manele said these projects are part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed recently between the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL) and China’s Jiangsu Academy of Agriculture.
“The focus will be on enhancing commercial rice farming and cultivating high-value cash crops.”
These projects are specifically targeted at Malaita Province and reflect the ongoing efforts to strengthen the one-year-old sister relationship between China’s Jiangsu Province and Malaita Province.
However, PM Manele said the successful implementation of this MoU requires thorough preparation and support from Malaita Province.
To bolster agricultural infrastructure in the region, PM Manele disclosed plans to construct a two-story MAL office building in Auki.
This MAL office initiative will see a new office in replacement of the old MAL office that was destroyed by fire in 2015.
The architectural design has been finalized and tenders for construction are set to be advertised soonand construction is expected to commence by the end of this year.
Furthermore, PM Manele highlighted the involvement of farmers from the World Bank-funded Solomon Islands Agriculture Rural Transformation Funded Project.
Over ten farmers’ associations in Malaita are poised to receive project funding ranging from $200,000 to $400,000 in September this year.
The PM then urged all farmers in Malaita to collaborate closely with the MAL and the nationalgovernment to ensure the successful implementation of these transformative projects.
By SOLOMON LOFANA
Solomon Star, Auki
