JOINT EFFORTS BY MINISTRY AND BIOSECURITY STAFF IN MOALA
#strentheningpartnerships 🤝| This week, collaborative efforts from staff of the Ministry of Agriculture and Waterways, alongside experts from the Biosecurity Authority of Fiji, conducted a significant tour around Moala Island to address local village requests regarding pest and disease management.
The teams visited Cakova, Nasoki, Keteira, and Vunuku villages in Moala, Lau, to deploy a variety of pest traps including those for Rhinoceros Beetles, Fruit Flies, Fall Armyworms, Asian Gypsy Moths, The teams visited Cakova, Nasoki, Keteira, and Vunuku villages to deploy a variety of pest traps including those for Rhinoceros Beetles, Fruit Flies, Fall Armyworms, Asian Gypsy Moths, Brown Memorated Stink Bug, and Ant Baiting.
These traps are strategically placed by the Biosecurity officers at specified sites across the villages to monitor potential new threats.
Panapasa Rakuita, a Lab Technician specializing in Entomology at the Koronivia Research Station, explained that although the traps are typically collected after two weeks, the team plans to revisit the island the following Monday to retrieve them, as they will be returning to Suva soon.
“The traps will then be brought back to Koronivia Station for identification and screening to detect any exotic pests,” explained Mr. Rakuita.
During an earlier visit, Minister for Agriculture and Waterways, Honourable Vatimi Rayalu, honoured a previous commitment to establish a new Bacterium Culture tank at Keteira village.
This initiative was strongly endorsed by Reverend Sepeti Cakacaka who has been stationed at Keteira Village for the past two years.
Reverend Cakacaka praised the positive impact that the bacterium culture has had on local crops, especially in enhancing agricultural production. He highlighted that the new tank would significantly boost crop yields, especially during the festive season.
In addition to the agricultural improvements, Reverend Cakacaka, who is also involved in a training program by the Ministry of Agriculture's Food Processing Unit, expressed confidence in the village's ability to tap into local markets.
He mentioned that the training, which will continue until the next week, will empower villagers to process fruits such as mangoes and pineapples into jams, as well as turn other crops like plantain (vudi), cassava, and dalo into chips, adding value to their produce and catering to nearby villages and islands.
Ministry staff deployed to Moala Island will complete all trainings on the island next week.
ENDS