Results for Agriculture

The Tonga Government has allocated $1 million to finance a new Agricultural Export Marketing Fund aimed at providing short term loans to exporters who buy exportable produce from farmers. Three agricultural produce exporting companies have been selected to access the funds.

HM King Tupou VI opened a one-day 'Eua Royal Agricultural Show 2012 on Friday, October 12 at the Malau 'o Vailahi grounds in Niu'eiki.

The first Royal Agricultural Show 2012 was opened by Crown Prince Tupouto'a 'Ulukalala at Lea'aetohi grounds in Pangai on Friday, October 5.

Mangoes are slowly ripening-up on trees under the hot December sun, but despite what appears to be an abundant mango season, fewer mangoes will be left for humans after the C.g. fungus spoils flowers and premature fruit, and the flying foxes or fruit bats (pekas) take their share of what is left. Agricultural expert, Semisi Pone, reveals why the season of fruitfulness in Tonga is not what it used to be, and the serious threat posed by a fruit fungus.

Export market access is a very difficult game but the level of organization in Tonga's horticultural and agricultural export sector is ahead of other Pacific Islands, a regional team leader noted on June 1 at the launch of the Tongan phase of a Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access Program (PHAMA).

Tonga's growing reliance on imports to meet its protein needs, threatens the nation's food security, and this was a concern discussed at a regional FAO meeting in Vava'u last week.

In a world that has 1.6 billion people who are overweight, the biggest challenge to mobilizing action against hunger is that hunger is becoming invisible in places, "and in a world exploding with prosperity and possibility we have become morally bankrupt, we have lost the sense of compassion. . .," UN Messenger of Peace HRH Princess Haya Al Hussein said this weekend, appealing to leaders who can make a difference for the rural poor. - By Mary Lyn Fonua

Kumala noodles, duck raising, mushrooms-growing and methane-generating pits are projects that Tonga will see under a new TOP$1.6m China technical grant.

Tonga expects to start exporting more vegetables to New Zealand in September, including chilli pepper and eggplants to be followed by fruits such as watermelon, pawpaw and mangoes in season.