August 2016
Tongans at a breadfruit orchard in Lautoka
Fiji and Tonga are both exporters of fresh breadfruit. Through PIFONs Pacific Breadfruit and Seed programme, a learning exchange was facilitated between these two countries to share experiences and promote best practices.
Nine representatives from Tongan farmer organisations comprising of 2 women and 7 men, participated in the Breadfruit Learning Exchange in Fiji from 03rd – 05th August, 2016. This exchange was funded by the MTCP II programme and facilitated by PIFON.
Farmer organisations represented were Nishi Trading, Growers Federation of Tonga and Mainstreaming of Rural Development Inc (MORDI). The 3 day exchange involved breadfruit orchard visits, visits to Ministry of Agriculture Research Stations including a visit to a farming input supplier organisation, Marco Polo and also the Pacific Community’s Centre of Pacific Crops and Trees (SPC CePaCT) in Suva.
Group photo at the Pacific Community’s Centre for Pacific Crops and Trees (SPC CePaCT) in Narere
Topics covered included: the fresh export breadfruit value chain, expected returns from breadfruit production, a visit to a large scale breadfruit production site showcasing trials of the three different propagation types – tissue culture, root sucker and marcotting trials, bait spraying demo, breadfruit characterization, hands-on training on marcotting, and briefing on tissue culture breadfruit systems by the SPC CePaCT staff. To sum up the exchange, a climate change adaptation presentation focusing on Breadfruit as the key crop for the future food security of the Pacific Islands was conducted by Koko Siga Pacific (Fiji) Ltd.
Action plans completed by participants following the exchange stated planting breadfruit orchards and sharing of lessons learnt as the top priorities for when they return home.