Strengthening Pineapple Production for Farmers in Vanuatu
In the aftermath of the devastating Cyclone Pam in 2015, the Government of Vanuatu intensified its support to the fruit and vegetable sector. Pineapple was identified as being particularly resilient to severe weather and as having excellent production and market potential. However, the lack of knowledge among farmers and agribusinesses on how to grow sustainably and profitably and how to add value to pineapples made it necessary to strengthen capacity in the sector. The project targeted both the public and private sectors, with a view to helping farmers to produce and sell fresh and processed pineapple products on Vanuatu’s domestic market.
What did the project do
The project enhanced the capacities of pineapple producers to improve farm productivity and meet market needs and strengthened producers’ post-harvest management capacities. In addition, the capacities of micro and small enterprises to produce high-quality and safe processed food for domestic markets, including tourism, were also enhanced. Finally, extension staff and lead farmers were trained to provide training to small and medium sized farming enterprises on “farming as a business”.Impact
The project made an important contribution to the economic (potential to produce more pineapples) and environmental sustainability (climate-smart agricultural techniques) of Vanuatu’s smallholder agriculture sector. With off-season prices falling due to increasing demand, agribusiness models have demonstrated that returns for farmers adopting the recommended package of practices substantially increased. The increase in capacity and the sharing of knowledge of pineapple production among and between farmers in Vanuatu will be beneficial for the agricultural sector as a whole.Activities
- Eight Training of Trainers workshops conducted, targeting 40 lead farmers and ten government extension officers, in weed control, crop rotation, soil management (climate-smart agriculture techniques) and intercropping.
- Six pineapple post-harvest supply chains assessed as part of two studies to record existing post-harvest losses along the supply chains.
- Post-harvest management training conducted, with 44 beneficiaries.
- Training on the use of packing crates, with 59 beneficiaries.
- One-on-one technical advice provided to existing established processing enterprises.
- Extension materials prepared to assist with training on improved pineapple and distributed to ten government extension officers and 40 farmers and processors.
Project symbol: TCP/VAN/3503
Project title: Building local capacity to produce and process pineapple products
Contact: FAO Office in Vanuatu / Joseph Nyemah(Lead Technical Officer)