A blog maintained by Tevita Kete, PGR Officer
Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), Suva, Fiji Islands
This weblog documents the activities of Pacific Agricultural Genetic Resources Network (PAPGREN), along with other information on plant genetic resources (PGR) in the Pacific.
The myriad varieties found within cultivated plants are fundamental to the present and future productivity of agriculture. PAPGREN, which is coordinated by the Land Resources Division of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), helps Pacific countries and territories to conserve their crop genetic diversity sustainably, with technical assistance from the Bioversity International (BI) and support from NZAID and ACIAR.
SPC also hosts the Centre of Pacific Crops and Trees (CEPaCT). The CEPaCT maintains regional in vitro collections of crops important to the Pacific and carries out research on tissue culture technology. The CEPaCT Adviser is Dr Mary Taylor (MaryT@spc.int), the CEPaCT Curator is Ms Valerie Tuia (ValerieT@spc.int).
PAPGREN coordination and support
Click on the thumbnail to see a map of the locations of Pacific genebanks. Click here to download a regional directory of genebanks in the Pacific, including information on their location, contact details and holdings.
PAPGREN partners
Mr William Wigmore
Director of Research
Ministry of Agriculture
Department of Resources & Development
P.O. Box 96
Rarotonga
Cook Islands
Tel: (682) 28711-29720
Fax: (682) 21881
Email: cimoa@oyster.net.ck
Mr Adelino S. Lorens
Chief
Agriculture Pohnpei
Office of Economic Affairs
P.O. Box 1028
Kolonia
Pohnpei 96941
Federated States of Micronesia
Tel: (691) 3202400
Fax: (691) 3202127
Email: pniagriculture@mail.fm
Dr Lois Englberger
Island Food Community of Pohnpei
Research Advisor
P.O. Box 2299
Kolonia
Pohnpei 96941
Federated States of Micronesia
Email: nutrition@mail.fm
Mr Apisai Ucuboi
Director of Research
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forest
Koronivia Research Station
P.O. Box 77
Nausori
Fiji Islands
Tel: (679) 3477044
Fax: (679) 3477546-400262
Email: apisainu@yahoo.com
Dr Maurice Wong
Service du Developpement Rural
B.P. 100
Papeete
Tahiti 98713
French Polynesia
Tel: (689) 42 81 44
Fax: (689) 42 08 31
Email: maurice.wong@rural.gov.pf
Mr Tianeti Beenna Ioane
Head, Research Section
Division of Agriculture
Ministry of Environment, Lands and Agricultural Development
P.O. Box 267
Tarawa
Kiribati
Tel: (686) 28096-28108-28080
Fax: (686) 28121
Email : agriculture@tskl.net.ki; Beenna_ti@yahoo.com
Mr Frederick Muller
Secretary
Ministry of Resources & Development
P.O. Box 1727
Majuro 96960
Marshall Islands
Tel: (692) 6253206
Fax: (692) 6257471
Email: rndsec@ntamar.net
Mr Herman Francisco
Director
Bureau of Agriculture
Ministry of Resources & Development
P.O. Box 460
Koror 96940
Palau
Tel: (680) 4881517
Fax: (680) 4881725
Email: bnrd@pnccwg.palaunet.com
Ms Rosa Kambuou
Principal Scientist PGR
NARI Dry Lowlands Programme
Laloki Agricultural Research Station
P.O. Box 1828
Boroko
National Capital District
Papua New Guinea
Tel: (675) 3235511
Fax: (675) 3234733
Email: kambuou@global.net.pg
Ms Laisene Samuelu
Principal Crop Development Officer
Crops Division
Ministry of Agriculture, Forests, Fisheries & Meteorology
P.O. Box 1874
Apia
Samoa
Tel: (685) 23416-20605
Fax: (685) 20607-23996
Email: lsamuelu@lesamoa.net
Mr Jimi Saelea
Director of Research
Department of Agriculture and Livestock
P.O. Box G13
Honiara
Guadalcanal
Solomon Islands
Tel: (677) 27987
Mr Tony Jansen
Planting Materials Network
Kastom Gaden Association
Burns Creek, Honiara
P.O. Box 742
Honiara
Solomon Islands
Tel: (677) 39551
Email: kastomgaden@solomon.com.sb
Mr Finao Pole
Head of Research
Ministry of Agriculture & Forests
P.O. Box 14
Nuku'alofa
Tonga
Tel: (676) 23038
Fax: (676) 24271
Email: thaangana@hotmail.com
Mr Frazer Bule Lehi
Head of Research
Department of Agriculture & Rural Development
Private Mail Bag 040
Port Vila
Vanuatu
Tel: (678) 22525
Fax: (678) 25265
Email: flehi@hotmail.com
Other CROP agencies
Forum Secretariat
University of the South Pacific
SPREP
Pacific biodiversity
Biodiversity hotspots
Breadfruit Institute
Hawaiian native plants
Intellectual property rights
Nature Conservancy
PBIF
PestNet
SIDS
WWF South Pacific Program
Other Pacific organizations
Foundation of the Peoples of the South Pacific
Micronesian Seminar
Te Puna web directory
Pacific news
Cafe Pacific
CocoNET Wireless
Island Directory
Pacific Islands News
Pacific Islands Report
Pacific Islands Travel
Pacific Time
South Pacific travel
Time Pacific
Interested in GIS?
DIVA-GIS
Monday, February 23, 2004
Nonu on Niue
The following story appeared on today's Pacific Island Report.
ALOFI, Niue (Niue News, Feb. 19) - A Rarotonga-based nonu operation is keen to develop a commercial relationship with the fledgling industry on Niue, despite the damage caused by Cyclone Heta.
"I don't believe that the nonu industry has been completely destroyed," says Kiki Koteka of the Bio-Medic Cook Islands company which exports noni juice overseas.
According to Koteka, the nonu plantations on Niue are inland and should be relatively unscathed.
The company fostered a relationship with the late Rauru Vakaafi's family in Niue in terms of developing the operation on the island.
Unfortunately, Rauru, a Cook Islander, died last year and Koteka says they have taken on trying to establish the business there until the Vakaafi family can run the operation. Koteka says currently the water processors are already in Niue. The next stage of development will be to construct a building for processing.
"I am hoping to go there in March, when everything will be there...but we will have to see, it depends on how things are going in Niue." Koteka's wife, Ngatia, who helps out with the nonu business, says they found out that the Vakaafi family were vegetable growers like themselves, and the interest in their nonu operation developed from there. "We want to help, give knowledge because with nonu there is money, money for the community and hopefully people will return to Niue," she said.
Wednesday, February 18, 2004
Breadfruit news
Diane Ragone of the National Tropical Botanical Garden's Breadfruit Institute in Hawaii will be sending to the RGC two varieties of breadfruit that were tissue cultured by Cynthia Nazario as part of her MSc work at the University of Hawaii. This will give RGC staff something to start working with, on the road to establishing the NTBG core collection in tissue culture here at SPC so that it can then be distributed to interested countries, as recommended by the PAPGREN meeting on breadfruit last year. We also have a permit from Fiji quarantine to receive roots from the other varieties in the core collection, but will wait a bit to do that, until the funding comes through for a collaborative project.
Thanks Diane for the update.......
Tuesday, February 17, 2004
News from PNG and Micronesia
1. Taro in PNG
News just in from the PNG University of Technology, Lae. Tom Okpul has just been awarded an MPhil for his thesis "Genetic studies on taro: diversity and adaptability of selected genotypes." Our congratulations to Tom. He will graduate in March.
2. Pohnpei Farmers Discuss the Yam Disease and Priority Actions
I've just come back from a trip to Marshall Islands and FSM. Trip reports will be available soon for those who are interested, but I thought I would start with some interesting news on yams in Pohnpei. Yam has great cultural importance in Pohnpei, and there is a great diversity of yam varieties (177 Pohnpei yam variety names have been documented). However, there is now concern about the possible loss of many of these varieties, due to a yam disease which has become very serious during the past 4-5 years. A visit was made on 25 October to 6 November 2003, by SPC staff members Stephen Hazelman and Dr Jacqui Wright to look into the problem, but the resulting report and recommendations had not yet been presented to the farmers as a group.
The Pohnpei Yam Farmers’ Workshop, held February 11, 2004 in the Agriculture Conference room in Kolonia, Pohnpei, was therefore a priority for Pohnpei Agriculture. The workshop was coordinated by Mr Adelino Lorens, Pohnpei Chief of Agriculture and Mr Jackson Phillip, Associate Director, College of Micronesia (FSM) Land Grant Office. Ms Amy Levendusky, Peace Corps Volunteer, and Dr Lois Englberger, Island Food Community of Pohnpei, provided other assistance in the report writing and preparations. Some 12 farmers from throughout the island participated. The workshop was supported by PAPGREN, which is funded by NZAID and ACIAR and coordinated by SPC and IPGRI.
Participants discussed the report recommendations and additional potential causes and solutions for the yam disease. Kehp en Nahmuh Weitahta was added to the list of yam varieties – all introduced – known to be resistant to the disease. The Farmers confirmed that the disease has been on Pohnpei for a long time but has gotten worse over the past 5 years. The issue of preserving certain yam varieties was also addressed. It was agreed that all yam varieties on Pohnpei should be placed in tissue culture at SPC's Regional Germplasm Center for safe-keeping. Participants agreed to donate tubers for this. The first 50 varieties will be collected during the coming yam season. The meeting was closed with a meal of local food featuring yams, and fresh drinking coconuts.
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