BY JOHN HOUANIHAU

Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture & Livestock (MAL) Dr Samson Viulu has thanked the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) SAFE project for their timely support towards this year’s MAL Annual Planning Conference.

Speaking at the opening of the five-day conference held at the Honiara Hotel on Monday this week, Mr Viulu appreciated the UNDP Solomon Islands Office for their financial support which enabled the conference to happen.

The five-day conference, from Monday to Friday this week focused on reviewing key policies, strategic planning, institutional effectiveness and strengthening implementation mechanisms across all departments of the Ministry.

“According to my memory, this is the first since COVID-19 and under the leadership of our current Honourable Minister, we would like to host this planning conference on an annual basis,” said Viulu.

“To UNDP and UNDP SAFE project, I want to assure you that your support towards the hosting of this conference is timely and will certainly boost not only the agriculture sector but all of Solomon Islands as 80% of our population dwells in the rural areas where subsistence agriculture is the current norm. They are the bedrock of economic resilience and food security of this nation,” said Viulu.

He also acknowledged the leadership of Minister Frank Wasi as a competent political leader leading the ministry for the first time in many years.

“We all believe that under your leadership, we will continue to strengthen existing collaborations and secure new ones to further develop our agriculture sector,” PS Viulu assured Minister Wasi.

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BY JOHN HOUANIHAU

Malaita has expressed its interest to increase ‘collaboration’ with the United States, it is reported.

This was conveyed to Chargé d’Affaires of the US Embassy William Furnish when he paid a visit to Auki on May 19-20 to meet with friends and partners and to make new connections in Malaita, a statement from the embassy yesterday said.

During his trip, Mr Furnish met with the Premier Elijah Asilaua, Provincial Secretary Eric George, Malaita’s Department of Education, Auki Provincial Police Commander Tex Tafoa and the Malaita Youth Hub, the statement said. 

Furnish said that he was pleased to hear of Malaita’s interest in increased collaboration with the United States and American companies and partners, the statement said.

The Embassy also presented information on emergency services and resources for American citizens and tourists during the meeting with Police Commander Tafoa and heard about current trends in Malaita.

The Malaita Youth Hub explained that their engagement with students and young people and embassy representatives gave them information about US exchange programmes for secondary school students, university students and faculty, the statement said.

Furnish encouraged Malaitan friends and partners to speak with young people about opportunities to take part in US-sponsored programmes in the United States and throughout the Pacific.

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BY JOHN HOUANIHAU

Minister for Agriculture and Livestock (MAL), Franklyn Wasi has said the ministry’s goal is to implement its plans effectively.

Minister Wasi said this when he opened this year’s MAL Annual Planning Conference on Monday this week at Honiara Hotel in Honiara.

The conference brings together ministry leaders, technical officers, and stakeholders to align strategies for the coming year under the theme: “Transforming Agriculture for Economic Growth.”

The five-day conference ends tomorrow and is focused on reviewing key policies, strategic planning, institutional effectiveness and strengthening implementation mechanisms across all departments of the Ministry.

“Let me be clear: our goal is not just to develop plans, but to implement them effectively. That will require discipline, innovation and stronger collaboration both within our ministry and with external partners,” said Wasi.

He said that notable progress has been made in past years-from rolling out the Ministries Development Programmes and Donor Funded Projects to strengthening food systems, promoting value addition and enhancing farmer incomes.

He said that institutional capacity must be addressed with urgency due to the challenges faced, such as persistent climate change, infrastructure gaps and limited financing.

Minister Wasi said that the conference is a critical moment to reflect, reassess and realign plans.

“I encourage each of you to engage actively throughout this week. Whether you’re reviewing work plans, budgets, or institutional reforms, remember; your contributions matter. Let us champion innovation, coordination, and accountability. Let us ensure our 2026 plans are practical, measurable, and impact-driven-not just aspirations on paper,” he said.

He said that the conference is a defining moment for the agriculture sector.

“We are sitting on untapped potential fertile soils, vibrant communities, traditional knowledge and a young population eager for opportunity. Let us harness this potential. Let us plan boldly, implement effectively and monitor honestly,” appealed Wasi.

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BY SAMIE WAIKORI

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Peter Shanel Agovaka says the country is still waiting for official statement from the US Trump’s administration on the “90 days pause” of its foreign aid worldwide.

The Minister, joined by his colleague minister for National Planning (MNPDAC), Rexon Ramofafia made the statement, when responding to questions asked by Opposition Leader, Matthew Wale and colleague MPs from the side, on the impact of the paused US aid on the country, during the question-and-answer session in parliament yesterday.

The ministers expressed remorse, admitted that all the USAID donated and funded projects in the country were affected by the US foreign policy.

Major among them is the Millenium Challenge Cooperation (MCC) and the US25 million funded SCALE project in Malaita province.

Ramofafia said they are the programs that are directly affected by the policy. They were implemented by NGOs and reported to the ministry, especially the MCC.

The 5-years SCALE project which supposed to lapse this year, 2025 and the US foreign policy provides no clear direction on whether it will renew. So far, the SCALE project had supported natural resources management programs in Malaita, however, a number of infrastructure projects proposed for the province will be affected by the policy.

The only US project that continues in the country is the UXO, which comes under the Halo foundation. The project deals with removing World War II (WWII) ordinances that still remain high in parts of the country, especially in Guadalcanal and Western provinces.

Agovaka also emphasized that subsequent to the policy, US Aid offices in the country, even across Pacific region have closed. Responsible bodies in the region are working with the Trump administration to reviewing aid to the region.

The Minister emphasized there are number of US aided projects being implemented in the country, and will keep talking to the Trump administration.

“There are projects implemented and we must ensure these projects are fully completed and not just half-cooked,” he said.

Agovaka assured GNUT’s resolute commitment to keep talking to US government on the matter, while they are waiting for official feedback on the 90 days paused, issued by Trump administration in an executive order to put on hold all US foreign aid.

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BY LORETTA B MANELE

Opposition Leader Mathew Wale has raised the need to see whether an investment will be progressive in the lives of Solomon Islanders.

He stressed on this whilst contributing to the debate on the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Bill 2024 on Monday, May 19.

Wale stressed that when it comes to investments, they must not be simplistic in such determinations and it is not hard to gauge whether a particular investment will have positive impacts on Solomon Islanders.

He said what they want to see is that foreign investors like any other businesses make profits and at the same time have a positive impact on Solomon Islanders while using environmentally sustainable practices.

“These two objectives, must be held in balance.”

On the other hand, he said if foreign investors make too much profit and little of any advantage to Solomon Islanders and degrade our environment, this would be exploitative and this would be an undesirable outcome.

“We know what this looks and feels like from long years of experience with logging. Billions have been made by foreigners, landowners have become poorer after logging and the environment has been severely degraded. Not a good outcome at all.”

He added that in today’s world, criminal activity in international trade and commerce has become very complex and often very hard to recognize and stop.

Henceforth, Wale stressed that Solomon Islands must have a robust legal and compliance system and the capacity to enforce modernized laws.

He pointed out that the country needs to expand its network of tax treaties with many more countries to benefit from reciprocal enforcement agreements and arrangements.

Wale said without a robust legal, compliance and enforcement capacity, Solomon Islands is extremely vulnerable to attracting the wrong type of investor who might be interested only precisely because of our weak legal, compliance and enforcement systems.

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BY INDY MAEALASIA

THE Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL) has received a new report on the state of the local bee industry, presented during World Bee Day celebrations held on Tuesday.

The report was delivered by James Kana, Project Coordinator at the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and highlights both the challenges and opportunities currently facing beekeepers in the Solomon Islands.

“The findings are interesting because we haven’t previously had a clear picture of the current state of the bee sector,” Kana said.

Conducted in October 2024, the report documents the widespread presence of the Small Asian Honey Bee (Apis cerana) across the country. However, the species was not recorded on Ulawa Island and its status remains unknown on Temotu.

One of the main concerns raised is that Apis cerana may be compromising the quality and viability of queen bees in the Solomon Islands. This is further heightened by the general lack of proper queen bee rearing practices among local beekeepers.

Another significant finding is the widespread presence of Varroa jacobsoni, a species of mite that parasites the Asian Honey Bee which is also widely detected across the country.

“All location and 100% of colonies inspected have active varroa colonized inspected excluding Ulawa,” the report revealed.

Kana expressed hope that the findings outlined in the report will encourage the government, beekeepers and the wider industry to work together to address the issues identified.

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BY JOHN HOUANIHAU

A seven-day shipping trial to Makira has successfully demonstrated cost-effective transportation of cocoa and copra to Honiara.

Minister of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL) Franklyn Wasi said this when he provided an update on the eight key policy priorities assigned to the Ministry under the Government for National Unity and Transformation (GNUT).

He provided the update during the ministry’s Annual Planning Conference that commenced on Monday, May 19 and will end tomorrow at the Honiara Hotel.

Strengthening Rural Shipping Access is the second of the eight key policy priorities for the Ministry, according to eight key policy priorities assigned to the ministry.

In his opening remarks, Wasi said that these priorities were introduced since the Government for National Unity and Transformation (GNUT) took office.

He said these key policy priorities form the bedrock of the sector-wide transformation anchored in inclusive growth, improved market access and food sovereignty.

According to Wasi, the plan is to replicate the plan to six destinations in the country.

“We plan to replicate this in Malaita Outer Islands, Shortland and Mono, Choiseul, Western Province and parts of Guadalcanal and Isabel,” he said.

He said that this will ensure producers in remote, high-yield areas are not left behind-especially during peak cocoa season from May to August.

The minister also acknowledged the dedication of rural farmers, commodity traders, exporters, value-adding entrepreneurs and service providers who continue to serve this nation with resilience and integrity.

The theme for the conference is “Transforming Agriculture for Economic Growth”.

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BY LORETTA B MANELE

Ricky Fuo’o, Minister of Infrastructure has highlighted local participation in special economic zones.

He raised the importance of this on Tuesday this week when speaking on the debate of the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Bill 2024 in parliament.

Fuo’o said his ministry will work closely with the Ministry of Commerce to ensure that they promote local content and that there are policies in place to promote local participation in  national infrastructure, especially for special economic zones.

He pointed out that while they attract international investment, they must also ensure that Solomon Islanders benefit.

Fuo’o also stated that his ministry will work to ensure that opportunities to participate in the construction and maintenance of the Special Economic Zone infrastructures are given to local contractors, engineers and labourers.

He added that this is to build capacity and spread economic benefits across our communities.

Fuo’o stressed that it’s important that locals participate in this endeavour especially for the maintenance and upkeep of these infrastructures.

“As part of GNUT, we strongly believe that local participation is key to our infrastructure development.”

The Member of Parliament for Central Kwara’ae said as they implement the Special Economic Zone Bill, they will monitor its impact, listen to the people and make improvements where needed.

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BY INDY MAEALASIA

FOR local beekeeper Rex Agita, tending to hives has become more than a way to make money, it’s a form of therapy, a calling and a mission to protect one of nature’s smallest but most vital creatures.

Celebrating World Bee Day alongside other passionate local beekeepers and businesses on Tuesday, May 20, Agita who now runs a small-scale bee farm in Henderson reflects on how his connection with bees began.

“I knew bees from Sunday school and that love grew throughout my teenage and high school years,” said Agita.

Over the years, his passion evolved into a deeper philosophy.

“I don’t really consider myself a beekeeper anymore, now I like to think, the bees keep me.”

Agita explained that beekeeping has also become a source of personal healing. “I use some of the honey for small remedies, like when I have a cough. It helps in ways beyond just the physical.”

As part of his mission to give back, Agita has joined the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) through their project Strengthening Beekeeping Industries for Production and Livelihood in the Solomon Islands.

The initiative seeks to revive a once-thriving local industry that has declined since its peak in the 1990s and early 2000s.

“I believe being part of this project will allow me to support other like-minded individuals,” he said. “Together, we could help revitalize the bee industry here.”

While interest in beekeeping remains among some farmers, Agita admitted that challenges persist.

“The industry faces serious threats from pests like the varroa mite; a devastating parasite many local beekeepers struggle to manage due to limited resources and knowledge.”

“One disease, we just cannot control it,” Agita said.

Through the project, efforts are also underway to support research and sustainable development in the Solomon Islands’ beekeeping sector.

Despite the challenges, Agita remains hopeful.

“I feel honored to work with such a small creature that has such a big impact,” he said. “Bees have been here long before us — I’m proud to be part of something that can help them continue to thrive.”

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