A blog maintained by Tevita Kete, PGR Officer Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), Suva, Fiji Islands
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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
PAPGREN partners Mr William Wigmore Mr Adelino S. Lorens Dr Lois Englberger Mr Apisai Ucuboi Dr Maurice Wong Mr Tianeti Beenna Ioane Mr Frederick Muller Mr Herman Francisco Ms Rosa Kambuou Ms Laisene Samuelu Mr Jimi Saelea Mr Tony Jansen Mr Finao Pole Mr Frazer Bule Lehi Other CROP agencies Pacific biodiversity Other Pacific organizations Pacific news Interested in GIS?
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Tuesday, April 17, 2007 Posted 2:55 PM by Luigi
Fiji hosts symposium on breadfruit From the Fiji Times, April 17, 2007 THE economic benefits of breadfruit are still under utilised in most areas in the region, an international symposium in Nadi has heard. The director of the South Pacific Commission's Land Resource Division, Aleki Sisifa, said breadfruit was under utilised for food security and income generation. He said this was due to the low priority from governments and research institutes. Mr Sisifa was addressing the first international breadfruit symposium to be held in the Pacific. The symposium, which started yesterday, has attracted participants from as far as Sri Lanka, Trinidad, Jamaica, Nigeria, Tanzania, Ghana, Benin and Seychelles. It also has participants from the Federated States of Micronesia, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, Tuvalu and Fiji. Mr Sisifa said breadfruit was also under utilised because there was a limited knowledge of its genetic diversity available and how best to use that diversity. Mr Sisifa said the symposium was fitting, as breadfruit originated from the Pacific. He said breadfruit was most extensively used in the Pacific. The symposium aimed to increase awareness about the importance of breadfruit in food systems in the African, Caribbean and Pacific. It also aimed to open up opportunities for a more diverse use of breadfruit through sharing information and establishing research and development priorities. Mr Sisifa said in the past three decades, there had been an awakening to the potentials of increasing the food supply across the Pacific by more planting of selected varieties of seedless breadfruit. He said breadfruit was the main staple crop in many Pacific countries, particularly on the atolls. |
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Something new: Agrobiodiversity Weblog: For discussions of conservation and sustainable use of the genetic resources of crops, livestock and their wild relatives.
PestNet: For on-line
information, advice and pest identification for the Pacific and beyond.
Contact: Grahame Jackson.
Pacific Mapper: For on-line
mapping of point data over satellite images of the Pacific provided by Google Maps.
DIVA-GIS: For free, easy-to-use
software for the spatial analysis of biodiversity data.
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