BY JOHN HOUANIHAU
Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Franklyn Wasi has emphasized that minimal research fieldwork has been conducted at the Dodo Creek Research Station.
Addressing the contentious discussions about the potential sale of the research station—which has garnered significant attention in Parliament and various media outlets—Wasi clarified the station’s historical use.
He pointed out that the Dodo Creek Research Station primarily served as the site for research headquarters, offices, laboratories, and staff accommodations, with very little fieldwork conducted on its grounds.
“I would like to reiterate that even during the height of operations at the Dodo Creek Research Station, there was scarcely any research fieldwork performed at that location. The majority of research activities were carried out at the Tenaru Field Experiment Station,” Wasi stated.
He further clarified: “The land at Dodo Creek, which has been the subject of public commentary and concern, was not utilized for research purposes. It solely accommodated the laboratories, headquarters, offices, and residences for a considerable number of staff at that time.”
Wasi said that contrary to public perceptions, the Dodo Creek Research Station has primarily functioned as an administrative office for the research department.
The Minister also noted that the Ministry has no plans to further utilize the Dodo Creek land due to challenges associated with land disputes that have affected other field experiment stations and agricultural training centers across the provinces.
He cited examples of such disputes, including the Hauratata Station in Makira Province, the Newi, ATC, and FES centers in Temotu Province, the Liwe Agricultural Training Centre in Small Malaita, the Fote Centre in Malaita Province, and the Haimarau Avu’Avu site in Guadalcanal. Wasi explained that dissatisfied customary landowners had forcibly reclaimed these properties from the Ministry, leaving many of them unoccupied to this day.
