By RODRICK DESURI 

AUKI 

A team from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL) is currently in Auki, Malaita Province, to meet and speak with recipient farmers of the Agri-Business Producer Organisation (ABPO).

The visit will focus on the first round of project recipients, starting with the JED cocoa enterprise yesterday at Namonakwa in West Kwaio. 

In an interview with Island Sun Auki, one of the young professionals from SIART for Malaita, Ruth Mae said the team’s visit focuses on the first round of project recipients.

She said the team is visiting JED Cocoa Enterprise in West Kwaio today, where they will have a good opportunity to hear and communicate directly with the farmers. 

“The team’s visit or talk story is mainly to communicate directly with farmers and hear their voices on the negatives and positives, as well as the challenges faced during the implementation of their projects.

“The first round of project recipients includes JED, Alisuri, Taki, Aibilaka, and others,” she said. 

Mae added that the team will visit the farmers of the JED Cocoa Enterprise at Namonakwa in West Kwaio.

ABPO is a component of the Solomon Islands Agriculture and Rural Transformation (SIART) project, which is funded by the World Bank. 

The overall goal of the project is to assist 66 ABPO projects by 2026 and strengthen the operations of these organisations. 

The programme focuses on areas such as cocoa, coconut, and small livestock production to increase efficiency, productivity, and sustainability. 

This World Bank-funded initiative aims to boost the agricultural sector in the Solomon Islands by providing cash grants, equipment, and training to ABPOs in provinces like Guadalcanal, Malaita, and Makira.

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