THE weeklong Farm Mechanization Training (FMT) that aims to equip local farmers with knowledge and skills on production of manual rice milling machine, solar grain drier and peanut shelling machine will conclude today.
The FMT is being held at the Taiwan Technical Mission (TTM) farm near King George, East Honiara with about 13 participants from Western and Isabel provinces in attendance.
The training was opened on Monday by the Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL), Jimmy Saelea.
Saelea said “this training is to equip rice farmers and other technical staff to appreciate the development and adoption of small-scale low cost and energy efficient machinery for use by subsistence farmers in PNG and Solomon Islands.
“I encourage all trainees to gain as much knowledge as possible from the training.
“You are the few lucky ones to be given the opportunity to be the first for this subject matter training,” he said.
Saelea said that processing, preservation and quality improvement of agricultural crops for the benefit of local population will always be assured of any government of the day’s support, including the current DCC government which recognizes and is committed to encouraging and supporting rural development.
Director of Extension and project sub coordinator Michael Ho’ota also said, “this is a new area of development within the Ministry of Agriculture & Livestock (MAL) with the objective of this project to develop and adopt small-scale low cost energy efficient machines for use by subsistence farmers in PNG and SI.
“The continuity and expansion of this project should enable MAL to produce efficient low cost subsistence small machines for our farmers in the rural areas,” he said.
The week long training involves production of manual rice milling machine and training on how to use the solar grain drier and peanut shelling machine.
FMT is jointly funded by the European Union and Solomon Islands government of Solomon Islands project on enhancing productivity of land and labour through small scale mechanization for subsistence farmers in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Solomon Islands.
Training is facilitated by a trainer from NARI -PNG and his Solomon Islands counterpart.
By STEPHEN DIISANGO
