Country Pasture/Forage Resource Profiles

Tuvalu

by

Eroarome Martin Aregheore

1. Introduction
2. Climate and Agro-ecological Zones
3. Soils and Topography
4. Ruminant Livestock Production Systems
5. Constraints to Development of Pasture Based Livestock Systems
6. Pasture Resources
7. Research and Development Organizations and Personnel
8. References
9. Contacts

Tuvalu comprises nine islands (atolls) in the southwest Pacific between 5⁰ and 11⁰ south the and 176⁰ and 180⁰ west (Lambert, 1982). The nine islands are Funafuti, Vaitupu, Niutao, Nanumea, Nanumaga, Nukufetau, Nui, Nukulaelae and Niulakita (Douglas and Douglas, 1989) - see Figure 1. They have a total land area of approximately 26 sq. km and are all less than 5 m above sea level (see World Factbook). The islands are scattered over about 1.3 million square kilometres of the Pacific Ocean forming a chain running in a northwest to southeast direction of some 579 km in length. The population is over 10,500 [11,810 according to the July 2006 estimate of the World Factbook]. The country has 1.3 million sq km of ocean. Tuvalu is an independent state.

The islanders of Tuvalu are Polynesians and females outnumber men, due to migration of working males. It is only at Funafuti and Nukufetau that ships can enter the lagoons, elsewhere there is no anchorage at all except in the calmest weather. Although Tuvalu is to the north of the recognized hurricane belt, the islands have been struck on a number of occasions in modern times by severe cyclones (Maddison, 1989), with three cyclones in 1997 (World Factbook).

Tuvalu has a mixed market subsistence economy. Although agriculture has been and will remain a major development activity in Tuvalu, Tuvalu is not self-sufficient in agricultural production. However, development projects are focusing on meeting at least 50 percent of food requirements. Fishing and farming are inexorably linked with the everyday lives of the people and agriculture is important within the general economy mainly as the provider of subsistence for the majority of the population.

Copra is the only export, but even that it is a very limited commodity. Ruminant livestock production is not part of the farming culture of the Tuvalu people and there is little information available. Table 1 provides some statistics on production and imports. Pork and poultry are produced for local consumption and a few goats (although no details are available of any goats at present) were kept mainly for grazing under the coconut trees.

Figure 1. Map of Tuvalu
The World Factbook

Table 1. Tuvalu statistics of livestock numbers, pig meat production, beef and veal, mutton and lamb and milk imports for the period of 1996-2005

* dry milk imports are also considerable e.g. in 2000 there were 25 Mt and 80 Mt in 2004, and milk equivalent import was 278 mt in 2000 and 1,515 mt in 2003
** beef is imported in different forms, e.g. in 2000 beef preparations totalled 40 Mt, 128 Mt in 2002 and 67 Mt in 2004 (also imports of other meats such as chicken are considerable e.g. 290 Mt in 2000 and 328 mt in 2003).
n.r no record;
FAO on-line statistics database

Coconut trees cover most of the islands and they form the main vegetation. However, under the coconut trees, vines and creepers are important components of the underground cover and the goats introduced in the eighties under certain circumstances ate many of these. The legume Vigna marina was most palatable, however, Scaevola was more productive (Hussain, 1987). Breadfruit trees abound in Tuvalu and their leaves could be used as fodder for ruminant livestock nutrition in case the Government of Tuvalu deemed it necessary to introduce ruminant livestock in the future, but this is thought unlikely.