The Kiribati government has recently decided to further strengthen international cooperation to improve agricultural productivity. The Kiribati government, along with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the Pacific Community, has jointly developed the "Kiribati Agriculture Strategy 5-Year Action Framework (2022-2026)". By cultivating agricultural professionals and increasing financial investment, we will gradually solve the challenges faced by the country's agricultural development.
Kiribati is located in the central Pacific Ocean, with the majority of the working population engaged in self-sufficient agricultural production. In recent years, the country has made efforts to increase agricultural product production and promote the export of major agricultural products as important means of poverty reduction. At present, crops such as coconut, breadfruit, pumpkin, taro, sweet potato, and cassava are mainly grown in areas such as South Tarawa Island in the country. Among them, coconut is an important economic crop and export agricultural product in Kiribati, and the country has made increasing coconut production one of its government's key tasks. It is expected that by 2026, the country's coconut production will reach 147000 tons.
Kiribati has a land area of 811 square kilometers, and the natural conditions for agricultural production are relatively restricted. To help Kiribati develop agriculture, China dispatched the first batch of aid teams in October 2020. Chinese agricultural experts lead local farmers to collect sand and soil from under coconut trees, surround them into cultivation beds, and make homemade compost piles. To solve the problem of agricultural water use, agricultural experts guide farmers to use plastic film covering technology, establish rainwater collection systems, and build water-saving irrigation equipment.
Niu Jinguo, the leader of China's second batch of aid to Kiribati's agriculture and fisheries team, told reporters that to help increase local crop yields, the aid team has also introduced high-quality crop varieties with strong resistance to drought, high temperature, disease and pests. At present, varieties such as Chinese cabbage, long eggplant, and Mimoto pumpkin are growing well and are popular among local farmers. The Agricultural and Fishery Technology Group conducted technical training on vegetables, aquaculture, aquaculture, and agricultural machinery, and taught farmers farming techniques hand in hand. Chinese agricultural experts have also comprehensively utilized techniques such as hole tray seedling cultivation and crop rotation to cultivate and introduce 42 types of vegetables and fruits, enriching the local people's vegetable baskets.
The reporter was interviewing at the demonstration base of the China Agriculture and Fisheries Assistance Group located in the eastern suburbs of the capital city of Kiribati, Tarawa, just in time for the graduation ceremony of the students at the base. Student Naomi Ronnita told reporters that after 6 weeks of concentrated learning, 68 students have obtained graduation certificates and have preliminary knowledge of vegetable planting and poultry farming techniques. Over the past three years, under the guidance of Chinese agricultural experts, more than 950 students have grown into technical backbone, supporting the development of agriculture in Kiribati
