BY LORETTA B MANELE
Samson Viulu, Permanent Secretary to MAL revealed this when speaking at the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) hearing into the 2026 National Budget (Appropriation Bill 2026) yesterday.
Briefly, he said they are doing some trials on rice and will harvest rice today.
Viulu explained that this stems from MAL’s close collaboration with Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences (JAAS); a leading research institution in China.
Island Sun understands that mid this year, MAL officially launched the China–Solomon Islands Agritech Workshop with JAAS under the Solomon Islands–China Agricultural Cooperation Framework.
The week-long workshop catered to participants from government ministries, educational institutions, the private sector, and MAL’s technical divisions to important sessions including rice cultivation.
This follows the MOU signed between MAL and JAAS on 22 July 2024 between MAL’s Deputy Secretary Technical, Mr. Michael Ho’ota and JAAS Vice President.
Viulu told the hearing that next year, their target for rice is to establish 10 hectares of high standard commercial rice farming here on Guadalcanal and another 21 hectares on Malaita Province which has a sister relationship with China’s Jiangsu Province.
Photo: Supplied
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