Kastom Gaden Association (KGA) officially launched its first crop protection manual book for trainers at Burnscreek, east of Honiara on Tuesday.
The manual was an initiative by KGA with the help of other sectors as part of strengthening food security in the country and most especially in the rural areas.
The project was funded by Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID).
Speaking at the launching ceremony, KGA General Manager Clement Hadosaia said the new trainer’s manual will develop and strengthen KGA local active farmers in the country with further ideas on how to provide information to other rural farmers.
This was aimed at promoting organic style of farming in the country.
“This manual book will bring KGA leading trainers to feather their working force through training other leading farmers in the provinces concerning the organic farming,” Hadosaia said.
The manual featured how to monitor the crop from attacks of pests and diseases, manage rotation of gardening, collection of information, giving advices and monitoring farmers activities and so forth.
Soon after the launching KGA trainers and farmers went through the manual by conducting a drama on how to deal with sick plants in the gardens.
KGA trainer Raymond Miaso said the manual was a big step in advance in the area of providing information to rural famers in the country.
He said the manual will help them improve their work in an accurate way through collecting factual information from the farmers down in the grassroots level.
“Now it will be easy for us to make our work accurate and fast by training and collecting the problems that farmers in the rural areas have experienced in their working environment,” he said.
Wrapping up the launching program Mr Hadosaia acknowledged all farmer trainers, KGA staff and the key supporter, the Australian Agency for international Development for availing funds for the project.
By ALFRED PAGEPITU and SOLOMON LOFANA
