by Marie Kauna – EMTV Online, Port Moresby
The inaugural World Congress on Roots and Tuber Crops is currently underway in Qingxiu, China. The congress began on the 18th and will end on the 22nd.
The theme of the congress is ‘Adding value to roots and tuber crops’. A total of around 750 key industry stakeholders have gathered to give scientific and expert advice on roots and tuber crops.
This includes farmers, researchers, private sector and the donor agencies. Among these participants, Ulamila Lutu, a senior Research Technician at the Secretariat of the Pacific Community Centre for Pacific Crops and Trees in Fiji, is there to present a research report conducted Samoan taro breakthrough.
The presentation is based on the Samoan taro breakthrough, its dramatic fall during the leaf blight, and how the Secretariat of the Pacific Community through the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research under the Pacific Agribusiness Research Development Initiative, has helped the country to boost its taro export.
Significant insights produced from the conducted research has helped the country tap into new mass production methods to help its taro farming and meet the growing demand for taro export.
Samoa taro will be presented as a practical example to others for the exchanging of vital information.
With the aim of bringing awareness on the importance of roots and tuber crops, this will be a positive opportunity for others and will help them to explore other effective solutions to helping areas where roots and tuber crops are lacking.
