BY LORETTA BRIGIDIA MANELE
MEN and women farmers who usually sell their produce at the central market have been harassed by women in Honiara, it is reported.
This was raised by Mrs Pauline Soaki – Director for Women’s Division under the Ministry of Women, Youth, Children and Family Affairs (MWYCFA) at the “Gender in Agriculture in Rural Livelihoods” workshop yesterday, who stressed that the above matter was reported to the ministry.
Mrs Soaki said that according to the reports the main reason behind such action was because women in the capital wanted to buy the farmers’ crops to resell them at a higher price at the market.
She voiced that if this matter can be included in the report then it would pave way for regulations that would ensure that farmers are able to sell their crops in a safe environment without being treated as such.
The workshop was attended by Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL) and MWYCFA officials at the Kairos conference room at Hyundai Mall.
The objective of the workshop was to validate information collected from case studies carried out in rural areas of Malaita and Guadalcanal provinces in February.
It is understood that this initiative is a partnership between the two ministries and is supported by SPC, ADB and FAO.
