BY RODRICK DESURI
AUKI
The Malaita Provincial Government is moving to establish a rice farming industry at Gwaigeo in Central Kwara’ae as part of efforts to strengthen food security and boost economic development in the province.
The initiative is expected to be supported by the Jiangsu Province of China under an existing partnership arrangement between the two governments.
Malaita Provincial Permanent Secretary George Eric revealed the plan during the Market Linkage Workshop attended by the Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development (MALD), Franklyn Derek Wasi.
Eric said the province aims to develop an out-grower scheme that will allow smallholder farmers to directly participate in rice production based on soil suitability and production capacity.
“As many of you are aware of the existing Memorandum of Understanding with the Jiangsu Provincial Government, we have engaged the Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences from the People’s Republic of China to explore the establishment of a demonstration rice farm at Gwaigeo,” he said.
He acknowledged that the provincial government currently has limited resources but said investment into such a model would help increase agricultural production, strengthen internal market linkages and promote value addition and import substitution.
“This will improve domestic cash flow, reduce dependency on imported food products and create more employment opportunities within our domestic labour market,” Eric said.
He added that the same development model could also be expanded to support cocoa, coconut, kava and taro production, as well as livestock industries including piggery and poultry farming proposed for Dala Farm, Atori and Eliote in southern Malaita.
Eric said organised producer groups would also allow rural farmers to actively participate in formal business activities, including licensing, taxation systems and commercial agriculture.
He said such participation will contribute directly to economic growth and national development.
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