By Katalina Siasau

A group of agricultural researchers, led by Professor Dorin Gupta from the University of Melbourne, have established a research site at Haveluloto, called the “Mother Site”, to develop their Sustainable Agricultural Intensification Project (SAI), focusing on improving traditional farming practices in Tonga.

At the unveiling ceremony, held on 3 November, at 'Api-ko-Fuakavenga, the CEO for the Ministry of Agriculture Food and Forest, Dr Viliami Manu spoke about the impacts of climate change on local farmers. He said the El Niño event is causing a drought upon the land, more cyclones are expected during the 2023-24 season, and sea-level rise also remains a threat to the agricultural system of the country.

He noted there were significant changes to Tonga's soil after the Hunga-Tonga Hunga-Ha'apai eruption, with ashfall and seawater incursion.

Team leader, Dr Dorin Gupta said a healthy life is linked to food security. She said the frequency of climate disaster events had been really fast-paced, and become a challenge for agriculture. Farmers need to “manage farm systems around these challenges.” 

Food production in terms of quality and quantity, is a challenge as well.

On the Mother Site, the researchers are trialling inter-cropping and organic mulching. Yam (Lose variety) is drought tolerant, which is inter-cropped with banana. Dried coconut leaves are used as mulch, which helped retain soil moisture for a longer period, and to control weed growth, and reduce herbicide use.

The research project hoped to provide climate adaptation and mitigation benefits in regard to crop-based farming systems in Tonga.

SAI Project


The SAI Project is financed by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), with a budget of AUD$1,633,624. The project duration is four years, starting from February this year up to December 2026.

The research team includes Project Leader, Associate Professor Dorin Gupta, Deputy-leader and co-researcher Dr Viliamu Iese, Co-researcher Dr Gayathri Mekala, Co-investigator Prof Rainer Hofmann, Director Prof Elizabeth Holland, Director / Country Coordinator Dr Robin Havea, and Chief Operation Officer (MORDI Agriculture development and coordinator, Mr Tevita Tukia.

Key partners include ACIAR, University of Melbourne, Lincoln University, University of the South Pacific, and MORDI Tonga Trust.

This research is conducted both in Tonga and Samoa. The project aims to evaluate biophysical and economic benefits of multiple sustainable intensification practices in crop-based farming systems in both countries, to provide climate adaptation and mitigation benefits.