By Pesi Fonua

King Tupou VI went out on an Agricultural Tour of gardens in Tongatapu on October 1 and was welcomed with excitement and celebration by the communities he visited.

Tonga's popular annual Royal Agricultural Shows were cancelled this year due to the health emergency restrictions during the global coronavirus pandemic.

So this year the king, travelling in a bus, went out to observe food production at the estates of the Ha‘a Havea Lahi nobles in Tongatapu.

He visited the estates of Noble Lavaka (a title that is with His Majesty) at Kauvai and Matatoa; Noble Ma‘afu at Vaini and Tokomololo; Noble Tu‘ivakano, at Niumate; Noble Vaea at Niumate; and Noble Lasike at Lakepa.

The Palace Office said that the objectives of His Majesty’s Agricultural Observing Tour were:

• For the people to prepare to counter the COVID-19
• To balance the importation of food products
• To secure local food production
• To be conscious of the size of land available for food production.

At Kauvai King Tupou VI planted a kauri tree at a kava plantation maintained by the Tupou College Ex-students Association.

The king,  accompanied by Ha‘a Havea nobles also visited a plantation at the Niumate estate of Noble Tu‘ivakano; and plantations at Noble Lavaka’s Matatoa estate.

They said there is also a plan to launch a National Tree Planting program to counter deforestation. This program would be supported by the Aotearoa Tonga Forest Ltd. and the Mainstreaming of Rural Development Innovation (MORDI) program.