FOLLOWING the decision to switch ties from Taiwan to China a local farmer says the agriculture sector in the country will be affected.
This is because the Taiwan Technical Mission (TTM) based at the King George area in East Honiara and in Malaita are closing its doors.
Speaking to the paper this week in an interview local piggery farmer Kingsly Kikisui said the situation will soon affect the local farmers because they won’t be accessing specialist advise from Taiwanese farm staff.
Not only that but they supply of piglets will be hard to access, he said.
He said Taiwan has been one of the most important agricultural partners in the country which most farmers have benefited from through the provision of supplying farming materials like piglets and trainings.
Mr Kikisui said as a concerned farmer he was very discouraged with the move by the government to switch ties.
He said now many farmers will no longer have access to the best advise from Taiwan farm experts.
Since the inception of the Taiwan Farm, it had provided many training courses to local farmers around the country.
The Taiwan farm also provided technical advice on piggery farming, honey beekeeping, organic farming and other agriculture related farming activities.
Local agriculture students from Solomon Islands National University (SINU), the rural training centres and high schools even benefited from the Taiwanese farm because they were able to learn from the TTM and its method of farming.
Mr Kikisui said many farmers after learning about Taiwan’s departure from the country have expressed sadness.
Many have thanked Taiwan for supporting the agriculture sector in the country for the past years.
Meanwhile, Mr Kikisui said the closure of TTM means the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock need to step up its effort to ensure farmers continue to benefit from training and other materials.
By GEORGE GWAMANI
