BY BEN BILUA
Gizo
GROUND work on the proposed cattle farm at Gozoruru in Isabel Province is progressing well as development of the site begins.
Workers have already cleared parts of the land where fencing will be constructed as part of the initial phase of the project.
In a recent Facebook post, Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Franklyn Derek Wasi said the Gozoruru site will host important facilities for agriculture development.
He said Gozoruru Agriculture development will accommodate a Cattle Breeding farm and Agriculture Research and Training Centre, that aims to strengthen the country’s agricultural sector.
Island Sun understands that the project is the result of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock and the Isabel Provincial Government on April 1, 2025.
The primary objectives of the agreement are to facilitate the use of land at Gozoruru by the ministry for the establishment of national agricultural research and development facilities, and to enhance collaboration and partnership between the ministry and the provincial government in advancing agricultural development in Isabel Province and the wider Solomon Islands.
The deal formalizes an arrangement for the ministry’s free use of approximately 687 hectares of unallocated land within the Gozoruru property.
Lots 174, 176 and 177 have been identified for the implementation of major national agriculture and livestock development programmes beginning in 2025.
Under the agreement, the Gozoruru site will serve as a national hub for innovation and capacity building in agriculture.
Planned facilities include a state-of-the-art Agriculture Research and Training Centre, the National Cattle Breeding and Distribution Centre, a Rice Research and Demonstration Centre, a Pig Breeding Improvement Centre, and a Cocoa and Coconut Genetic Improvement and Distribution Centre.
During the signing of the agreement, Wasi said the partnership lays the foundation for a new era of cooperation between the Isabel Provincial Government and the national government through the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock.
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