SIART completes piggery training for five farmer groups in southern Malaita as part of a $6.9 million investment.
The Solomon Islands Agriculture Rural Transformation (SIART) Project this week completed a series of two-day trainings for piggery Agribusiness Produce Organizations (ABPOs) in the southern region of Malaita Province.
Beneficiaries of the trainings are local pig farmers from the Waiasi Piggery Farmers Association, Mamanaha Indigenous Piggery Farmers Association, Apatarau Tribe, Kauhata Piggery Project and the Ikoru Raku Farmers Association.
This is part of SIART’s support to its ABPOs, providing funding, capacity building trainings, and technical assistance to boost rural livelihoods and agricultural productivity. In Malaita Province, SIART is supporting a total of 16 ABPOs in piggery farming representing a $6.9 million investment.
The trainings were facilitated by representatives from the SIART Project and Livestock Officers from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL) based in Malaita Province.
SIART’s Agribusiness Officer for Malaita Province, Ms. Betty Arumae highlighted that the two-day training series covered key areas for piggery farmers which included Pig Husbandry, Animal Health, Quality, Marketing, Promotion and the types of farming system.
“The training delivered is tailored towards the needs of our local farmers and the topics covered were very relevant especially for our pig farmers to be refreshed on the importance of piggery farming.
“Though simple, it also covered very important aspects such as building the right pig house with access to clean water, smart feeding using local ingredients and caring for sows and piglets,” she said.
Ms. Arumae further highlighted that under the topic animal health, farmers gained vital knowledge on spotting and stopping common diseases, identify symptoms and how to prevent and treat with the right treatments.
“And importantly for our ABPOs the topic of farm business. This included tracking and record keeping of mating, farrowing dates. And litter size, feed mix and quantity and medicine log,” she said.
The farmers were also introduced to quality pig production for the market which means raising healthy and lean pig efficiently to meet customer preference and demand including the element of quality pig production.
Fr Steven Unu’iwao, from the Waiasi Piggery Farmers Association in Waipina Village in South Malaita, was one of the local farmers who attended the training who described it as good and fitting for rural farmers.
“This is the first time for us to hear and learn from such information delivered during the training and also the practical demonstrations. It was very important information and knowledge about piggery farming and managing an agribusiness which we as a community group are venturing into. We are really happy with the training and thank the SIART Project for recognizing this need for us local farmers,” Fr. Unu’iwao said.
He said the knowledge gained will have a positive impact on their piggery farms and their community’s agribusiness supported through the SIART Project.
“The training is really good especially for us in the rural and remote communities in the provinces. Because farming is the daily activity in our rural communities,” Fr. Unu’iwao said.
These trainings represent a step forward in SIART’s mission to transform Solomon Islands agriculture through capacity building, market linkages, and sustainable practices, strengthening the key sectors for economic growth and community resilience.
SIART is a World Bank funded initiative implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL).
- SIART Media Release
