LOCAL farmers who attended the week long Farm Mechanization Training (FMT) that ended over the weekend (Friday) in Honiara are being encouraged to be role model and utilize the knowledge and skills acquired.
This was after about 13 local farmers from Isabel and Western Province undertook an intense training on FMT at the Taiwan Technical Mission, near King George, East Honiara under the project on enhancing productivity of land and labour through small scale mechanization for subsistence farmers in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Solomon Islands.
Farm Mechanisation Training is aimed to equip rice farmers and other technical staff to appreciate the development and adoption of small-scale low cost and energy efficient machinery for use by subsistence farmers in PNG and Solomon Islands and also to equip local farmers with knowledge and skills on production of manual rice milling machine, solar grain drier and peanut shelling machine.
“I must encourage you farmers to utilize the ideas learned and seek assistance from the government or responsible authorities when necessary,” project engineer from NARI-PNG and the facilitator of the training told participants at the official closing of the programme at Jina’s Restaurant, Friday.
Mr Joe Someng said, it is encouraging to see local farmers display much interest in such training which is good.
“I must encourage you to utilize the knowledge and seek responsible authorities (government) whenever you need support,” he said.
He said that such training is important as it impart farmers with knowledge to improve their farming production thus improve livelihood of individual families.
Someng also used the occasion to thank the Solomon Islands government for its continuous support and commitment towards the project and appeal to responsible authorities to assist local farmers in order to excel in their agricultural development.
“This is a new area of development within the Ministry of Agriculture & Livestock (MAL) with the objective of this project to develop and adopt small-scale low cost energy efficient machines for use by subsistence farmers in PNG and SI.”
It is understood, the continuity and expansion of this project should enable MAL to produce efficient low cost subsistence small machines for our farmers in the rural areas.
The week long training has seen participants involved in production of manual rice milling machine and training on how to use the solar grain drier and peanut shelling machine.
FMT is jointly funded by the European Union and Solomon Islands government.
By STEPHEN DIISANGO
