The Kiribati government has recently decided to further strengthen international cooperation to improve agricultural productivity. The Kiribati government, together 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 difficulties faced by the country's agricultural development.
Kiribati is located in the central Pacific Ocean, with the majority of the labor force 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 coconuts, breadfruits, pumpkins, taro, sweet potatoes, cassava, etc. 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 regards increasing coconut production as one of the 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 assist Kiribati in developing agriculture, China dispatched the first batch of aid teams in October 2020. Chinese agricultural experts lead local farmers to collect sand from under coconut trees, enclose 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 agricultural and fishery team, told reporters that in order to help improve 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 Miben pumpkin are growing well and are welcomed by local farmers. The agricultural and fishery technology group conducted technical training on vegetables, aquaculture, aquatic products, 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 basket.
When the reporter was interviewing at the demonstration base of the China Agriculture and Fisheries Assistance Group located in the eastern suburbs of Tarawa, the capital of Kiribati, the base was holding a graduation ceremony for the students. Student Naomi Ronnita told reporters that after 6 weeks of concentrated learning, 68 students have obtained graduation certificates and have initially mastered 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."
