The Solomon Islands Agriculture and Rural Transformation (SIART) Project successfully held a four-day Capacity Building Workshop from June 17th to 20th at the Livestock Conference Room in Honiara.
The workshop convened technical officers and experts from various departments of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL), with a shared goal of advancing the development of comprehensive agricultural commodity manuals. These manuals are expected to become key resources for farmers, trainers, and extension officers across the country.
Led by MAL/SIART Capacity Building Officer Mr. John Tatalo, the workshop focused on strengthening the technical writing capacity of MAL officers involved in agriculture and livestock activities. The initiative marks a major milestone toward the project’s broader objective of producing practical, locally relevant, and up-to-date training materials.
In his opening remarks, MAL/SIART Project Manager Mr. William Okekini highlighted the importance of the manuals and the capacity-building efforts behind them.
“This workshop not only provides technical guidance but also empowers our officers to produce high-quality manuals that will directly benefit farmers and agribusiness groups. These materials must reflect the realities of Solomon Islands’ agricultural environment and promote sustainable practices,” he stated.
So far, six manuals, guides, and teaching resources are in draft form—developed through collaboration between experienced and new writers. The project has prioritized 14 key commodities out of an initial longlist of 50 to 60, spanning both crop and livestock sectors. This work is part of the World Bank-funded MAL/SIART initiative aimed at strengthening selected agribusiness value chains.
Once completed, the draft manuals will undergo a thorough quality assurance process involving reviews by MAL departmental directors, senior management, and, where appropriate, external specialists including representatives from the national education curriculum division. This ensures the manuals meet high standards of accuracy, relevance, and usability.
The manuals are primarily targeted toward Young Professionals (YPs), Community Resource Persons (CRPs), and MAL extension officers working in provincial areas. They are intended to support training and capacity building efforts for Agribusiness Producer Organizations (ABPOs), which are actively engaged in commodities such as cocoa, coconut, fruit trees, pineapple, honey, taro, coffee, small livestock, and spices.
The MAL/SIART project remains committed to its mission: to boost agricultural productivity and improve market access through strategic interventions along targeted agri-food value chains—ultimately contributing to the sustainable economic development of Solomon Islands.
Source: MAL Press Release
