Guadalcanal: No Foods In Gardens – Report

No Foods In Gardens – Report

Ninety eight percent of food in the Guadalcanal Plains has been damaged by flood waters and water logging, an agricultural assessment report reveals.

The report, compiled by nine agriculturalists of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Province’s Agriculture division, included areas from Malango and Foxwood, West of the Plains to Monga river in the east from 17 to 18 January.

The report released today blamed water logging rather than flooding that destroyed all root crops and vegetables.

It however said commercial crops such as coconuts and cocoa are still available for people to use for financial support while they wait for garden crops to recover if the current rainy season stops.

The short term priorities recommended are nutritionally balanced food relief provided within the next three to four months; and the National Disaster Management Office needs to seek overseas funding to meet the cost of the required food.

In the medium term, the team has recommended the supply of improved high quality vegetable seeds for high yields and disease resistant as well as water tanks big enough to support each village community.

The team also said, in the long term, communities need to know about crop rotation practices to maintain good yields and reduce soil erosion as well as maintain primary healthcare services in clinics.

However, the report has praised the Province’s Medical division for an excellent job but recommends the government may need to assist with much needed drugs.

The report concluded that the NDMO and the Provincial government need to develop strategic plans to address the problems in the area which had been causing headaches for the communities in Guadalcanal Plains in the past centuries up to now.

Meanwhile, NDMO Director Loti Yates said he’s already submitted a request to the government for funding to support the flood affected communities of Burns Creek and Guadalcanal Plains.

Yates said the request was made last week and a response from the government is still being awaited.

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