Title: Strengthening Capacity for Sustainable Organic Crop Production in Palau (TCP/PAL/3401)

Objective:

The major constraint to increasing agriculture production in Palau is lack of appropriate sustainable technologies to improve the quality of soil for crop production. Palau’s soils are highly weathered, acidic and clayey and there is a limited amount of land area that is suitable for agricultural production without substantial inputs and soil amendments. The limited areas that are more suitable for agriculture, being flatter ground, must be improved nutritionally in order to increase production.

The project requests FAO technical assistance and necessary support for the Bureau of Agriculture (BOA), in the strengthening of Palau Organic Growers Association (POGA) to increase domestic agricultural production through adoption of new sustainable technologies and methods for soil improvements. Assistance will be provided in form of technical advice, infrastructure and institutional support. Institutional strengthening component would focus on soil school; training for POGA farmers and BOA extension staff on key aspects of soil biology, soil testing, fertility improvement strategies, demonstration trials and other sustainable organic production technologies and crop management. On farm demonstrations with selected farmers to adapt technologies to local conditions and major crops will be supported.

The project period is two years and will target farmers in Babeldaob. It is anticipated that, by the end of the project, up to 12 national staff and more than 200 rural farmers and families will be trained in sustainable technologies and methods for soil improvements. Project workshops will contribute to human resource capacity building in Palau.