| ID: | 86022 |
|---|---|
| Country: | Solomon Islands |
| Title: | Solomon Islands - Pacific Islands Rural and Agriculture Stimulus Facility (PIRAS) - November 2022 |
| Description: |
Ezron Rara, a small-scale farmer on Kolombangara Island, Western province, transplants newly sprouted seedlings into a tray. Through the PIRAS-supported training programme implemented by Kastom Garden, Ezron learned various aspects of agricultural production, such as food processing and preservation techniques, composting, and other skills for improving his agricultural production. With PIRAS support, he started a plant nursery and learned to prepare enriched potting soil using compost. “I was a farmer before the COVID-19 pandemic, and I still do farming and gardening today. But I have learned many things from PIRAS. For example, we used to plant a single crop in our plot. Now, we have learned to diversify and do intercropping. We also understand the importance of crop rotation now.” Like Ezron, most people did some subsistence farming and gardening before PIRAS arrived on the island in March 2022. With the lockdown and trade restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, the people were no longer permitted to travel to nearby markets to sell their produce or buy the things they needed. Many focused on doing their own backyard gardening and farming, growing enough for survival. By the time things started to open up again, most of the people no longer had the resources they needed to meet their family needs. PIRAS helped Ezron and others in the community restart their farming and gardening by providing them with seeds and seedlings, chickens, labour saving tools and other inputs. Importantly, PIRAS also provided training on how to plant the seeds and seedlings, and how to produce seeds from the crops they harvested. The people also learned how to manage the soil and how to look after their livestock. Moving from subsistence production to producing more, they are able to sell what they produce and earn an income, helping them become more food secure and resilient to future crises. PIRAS is a collaboration between the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Australian Government that supports food system and economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic in the Pacific. Working through local implementing partner, Kastom Garden Association, the programme prioritizes strengthening food self-reliance, improving local nutrition and developing sustainable, equitable agricultural livelihood opportunities for 30 island communities in Solomon Islands’ Western, Choiseul and Central provinces. |
| Size: | 12.66 MB; 5472 x 3648 pixels; 463 x 309 mm (print at 300 DPI); 1448 x 965 mm (screen at 96 DPI); |
| Show more details: | Barbara Gravelli |
| Copyright: | ©IFAD/Barbara Gravelli |
| Categories: | New from Asia and the Pacific |
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