Tonga's Ministry of Agriculture is ready to ship 5100kg of mixed Talo and Kumala to relieve the food shortage in Ha'apai following Cyclone Ian..

The crops were planted with the assistance of the SPC and AusAID International Climate Change Adaptive Initiative ICCAI.

The emergency crop growing exercise has allowed the government to have locally grown produce ready to provide for the immediate needs of people in natural disaster areas.

Sione Foliaki, the Deputy Director the Ministry of Agriculture said that in addition to 340 x 15kg bags of mixed talo and kumala, they had also prepared 1.5kg packets of frozen pele leaves to send to Ha'apai.

Private growers, during the past weeks had donated tones of root crops for the people of Ha'apai.

Sione said that the UN Food and Agriculture Organization FAO estimated that the damage that Cyclone Ian inflicted on the islands of Lifuka, Foa, Ha'ano and 'Uiha on 11 January amounted to about TOP$39 million.

"TOP$4 million is required to restore food security and livelihoods on the four islands," he said.