BY JOHN HOUANIHAU
The West Are’are Constituency Office (WAC) in Honiara has provided seaweed materials to seaweed farmers in West Are’ are as part of the constituency Seaweed Project for the years 2025-2026.
Speaking with Island Sun yesterday, West Are’are Constituency Project Officer (CPO) Nelson Puiaraha said the seaweed materials consist of ropes, floats, anchors, drying nets, solar plastic and diving sets.
“The drying nets, diving sets, and solar plastic were exclusively distributed to farmers in Uhu and Masihuro, as they are currently in the harvesting phase,” he said.
He noted that many of the new farmers, who are still in the nursery stage, received ropes and floats.
Puiaraha said a total of 296 farmers from the Uhu to Kiu communities received the first delivery on 23rd August at Haumahure’a village.
He added that before the distribution and implementation of the project, an awareness session was conducted for seaweed farmers on August 22-23 at Haumahure’a village in West Are’ are.
“We encouraged all community members or constituents to join this life changing project. All constituents are welcome and can be supported with materials according to their needs,” Puiaraha said.
He said that the second delivery of seaweed material was completed on 11 September for 349 seaweed farmers.
“Under this delivery each community received Ten bags of cement, 20 pieces 1.5m steel rod and one chicken wire roll. These materials are for farmers made anchors for the seaweed farms,” he said.
He said that the WAC completed the third seaweed material distribution on October 9.
He said that this delivery includes 6mm seaweed line rope, 10mm anchor rope, 8mm baseline rope and 2mm tying rope to new farmer who are currently in the nursery stage.
“Our aim is to ensure that by June 2026 most communities or farmers should sell their products so they can sustain themselves going forward. This would allow us to utilise constituency funds to be diverted to other communal services in the constituency,” he said.
Puiaraha said that the number of seaweed farmers expressing interest is on the rise.
“We are expecting to roll out 4th and 5th seaweed material delivery as most farmers would enter their harvesting period, thus, there would be a demand for drying nets, solar plastic and diving sets. Our aim is to make sure that farmers have their own driers, solar plastic and necessary materials,” he said.
Photos: Supplied
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