PIFON conducts Regional Farmer Organisation Training on Off-season Vegetables

A five day training workshop targeting PIFON member farmers/farmer organisations involved in off-season vegetable production was conducted on June 01-05, 2015 by PIFON in collaboration with the EU funded, SPC implemented Pacific Agriculture Policy Project (PAPP). The overall objective of the training was to enhance the ability of farmers around the Pacific region to profitably engage in vegetable production for food security and to take advantage of market opportunities (including off-season).  The ‘off-season’ in the South Pacific takes place in the rainy summer months (November to April) when production of certain vegetables such as tomatoes, English cabbage, French bean, lettuce, cauliflower and zucchini is severely restricted by the high rainfall, temperature, humidity and a high incidence of pest and disease problems.

As a result, there is a severe shortage in supply and prices are high during this period. The training was attended by about 45 participants and resource persons comprising of PIFON members from Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea along with government counterparts and host farmers.  The training covered important technologies such as protective cropping, integrated crop management and vegetable seed production. A publication and short video covering the training are now available on the PIFON website at the following clickable links:

Download publication on Proceedings from Regional Farmer Organisation Training on Technologies supporting off-season vegetable production  

View short video clip on Regional Farmer Organisation Training on Technologies supporting off-season vegetable production