Nine students had recently completed a 3 months field attachment program at KGA Burns Creek – Honiara and two other partner sites. The trainee farmers comprised of 5 female and 4 male participants, were from Makira, Malaita, Central Is. and Choiseul provinces. Four students were attached to KGA Burns Creek, 3 at Vanga Rural Training Centre on Kolobangara Is., Western Province and 2 at Gwanafiu Farmer Field School in Central Malaita, Malaita Province.
The students had learned various practical trainings in specific areas that were of interest to them during the period. For example, those attached at KGA Burns Creek Centre were involved in practical trainings in Poultry husbandry, Seed Saving practices/ methods, root crop multiplication techniques, organic farming methods, pest & dieseas management and vegetable farming. Those at Vanga RTC had learned Piggery & poultry husbandry and intergrated farming methods whilst those at Gwanafiu Farmer Field School had learned Contour Farming methods and organic farming.
- Attachment students at KGA Burns Creek
According to Mary Esekana and Servie Lausao who supervised the attachment students, they said, the students are very keen and had learned a lot of basic practical methods and skills that will be useful in the rural areas. The training was actually tailored for those who were interested in agriculture and those who wish to pursue farming as their source of livelihhood.
At a brief presentation ceremony, the Program Coordinator Mr Jack Kalisto thanked the students for their time and interest in Kastom Gaden Association as a whole. He asked the students to put into practice in their own village /communities whatever basic knowledge and skills they had learned over the past 3 months. KGA alone cannot meet all the needs of our rural farmers, therefore it is important that you go out and share whatever you have learned. This will enable our rural people to practise the same idea that KGA has all along been advocating to our people, he added.
The attachment program is part of KGA’s current program to develop and further enhance the skills of rural farmers. KGA will provide one or two more attachment program this year 2010.
