Northern Dove Association members and a team from the SIART Project during a recent visit to this coconut ABPO in north Malaita.
Increased coconut production in sight for SIART supported ABPOs
Monday 28 September, Honiara – The Solomon Islands Agriculture Rural Transformation (SIART) Project is expecting an increase in coconut production amongst its Agribusiness Producer Organizations (ABPOs) in Guadalcanal, Malaita and Makira/Ulawa Province.
The Project has supported a total of 14 ABPOs across the three provinces, representing a SBD5.2 million investment. They include 3 in Guadalcanal Province, 4 in Malaita Province and 7 in Makira/Ulawa Province.
To enable the ABPOs to increase production, the SIART Project supported local farmers who are members of these ABPOs with the rehabilitation of 771 hectares of coconut plantations.
With 46 driers being newly constructed or rehabilitated with funding support from the Project.
According to recent data gathered by the SIART Project, the current average production of all 14 ABPOs combined is around 700kg per hectare and 540 tons for the 771 hectares.
“After rehabilitation the production of copra should increase to 1.5 tons per hectare,” SIART Project Manager, Mr. Okekini, said.
“Production from the rehabilitated 771 hectares is expected to produce around 1.157 tons, an increase of 617 tons of dried copra worth $4.32 million per annum at $7 per kg,” he added.
A total of 418 households in the three provinces are benefitting from SIART’s support reaching up to 2,340 beneficiaries in their respective communities.
Other support includes 11 nurseries of 27,000 seedlings which is equivalent to 219 hectares, 11 storage sheds, construction of 46 hot air driers, equipment, capacity building trainings and a $820,000 working capital to operate their agribusinesses.
SIART is a World Bank funded initiative implemented by the Ministry if Agriculture and Livestock (MAL) designed to boost smallholder farming, improve market access, and transform subsistence farming into sustainable commercial operations in the Solomon Islands.
- SIART Media Release
A local farmer from the Ngalifasi Farmers Association. One of the ABPOs in north Malaita supported by the SIART Project.
The SIART Project has also supported coconut ABPOs with 11 nurseries of 27,000 seedlings.
Members of the Ngalifasi Farmers Association.