MANY commercial farmers throughout Guadalcanal have been empowered in the four days workshop held in Honiara from Monday to Thursday this week.
The workshop is organised by Rural Development Programme (RDP) in the Ministry of Development Planning and Aid Coordination as part of recovery programme after most of the farmers’ infrastructures were destroyed during the flash flood in 2014.
It’s part of its component two under ‘Agriculture Partnerships and Support,’ to assists farming households:
a) to engage in productive partnerships with commercial enterprises;
b) builds the capacity of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL) to deliver its core functions of regulation, research and sector coordination; and
c) Restores the productive assets of households critically affected by natural disaster.
RDP Program Manager Loti Vaisekavea talked mainly on issues relating to community, leadership, responsibility and change.
Mr Vaisekavea said in this globalise world, things have changed now, so farmers need to adapt to these new changes when running their farming business.
“Business has its own cultures and change is normal which people needs to function with it.”
Mr Vaisekavea added leadership has also changed today, so farmers need to be honest, accountable and faithful when running their business.
He encouraged farmers not heavily involved in spending free in alcohol and other activities which can affect business as well.
“If want change, we don’t expect anyone to change us but ourselves,” he said.
Most of the farmers participants have been involved in cocoa and piggery farming.
On Monday, around 40 farmers have participated, followed by 40 on Tuesday, 70 on Wednesday and around 70 plus on Thursday.
Coordinator of the project, Lawrence Hilary said not many farmers attended the workshop because mobile communication could not reach them and the state of feeder roads to their villages are in bad state.
Hillary said it’s important to empower the farmers so they produce good products for customers in Honiara and used their money wisely to raise standard of living.
By EDDIE OSIFELO
