The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL) through its Honiara Urban City Agriculture office (HUC) has supported Feraladoa St. Peter Mother’s Union group of Tuvaruhu Parish in Honiara with essential farming tools and vegetable seeds.
A statement issued by MAL Media Unit said, the support was made possible through funding support under MAL livelihood and food security sector program.
This support is to support smallholder vegetable farmers.
The assistance aimed at boosting the group’s backyard farming activities to guarantee fresh produces are available for daily household consumption.
Delivering the tools and seeds last week was Ms. Caroline Harunari, MAL Officer in Charge of Honiara Urban City Agriculture office (HUC).
“MAL is pleased to support you with these tools and seeds to help sustain your livelihood and food security during this time of the COVID-19 pandemic. And lest we forget, our healthy wellbeing which are also threaten by non-communicable diseases (NCD) due to the change of our eating habits,” she said.
Ms. Harunari added that the rapid change of choice amongst our eating habits from locally grown healthy foods to processed/manufactured goods is a ticking time bomb for our healthy wellbeing against NCDs in Solomon Islands, thus, farming family households and community groups everywhere are encouraged to engage more in gardening of root crops, growing vegetables and fruits for daily consumption.
“It is not only healthy but also supports your savings which is among the important objectives of the livelihood and food security sector program for smallholder vegetables farmers in this country.”
Excited leader of Feraladoa Mothers Union Linnie Meinoda thanked MAL for the timely assistance saying such support is the first of its kind for her group to receive from the government or any other organizations.
“We are very excited that you have recognized our request.
“We have been doing our best but in places like our community it is quite difficult to grow vegetables due to lack of space and tools.
“But with this support my group looks forward to working closely with you (MAL) to ensure what we receive today is fully utilize so that we can all achieve the objectives of this new partnership,” Ms. Meinoda said.
The assistance worth $4,602.00.
Farming items purchased at Island Enterprise and delivered to the group include;
– 1 wheelbarrow blue metal tray
– 4 hand hoe
– 4 bush knife 22 inch
– 1 by 1.8x 50 meter shade cloth green
– 1 by 12mm x 30m garden hose
– 4 mini fork with wooden handle
– 10 packet seeds of Chinese cabbage Wong Bok
– 10 packet seeds of Chinese cabbage Pak Choi
– 3 packet seeds of Chinese cabbage Kwang moon
– 27 cotton gloves
– 1 cotton gloves w/ black dots
– 7 shovel square mouth gtv5205
