Enterprising Bellona farmer travels to Honiara to promote organically grown cabbages
Motivated by the healthy growth and harvest of his organically grown variety of cabbages, Mr. Bix Paul has travelled more than 200 kilometres from Bellona in the far south-eastern province of Renbell to Honiara to promote his produce and share his story.
Mr Paul is the chairperson of the recently formed Bellona Organic Farmers Association (BOFA)
Paul brought his sample harvest of about 30 heads of fresh-looking healthy cabbages on a flight from Bellona to Honiara yesterday morning, a mix of Saladia, Pak Choi and commonly known Slippery Cabbage.
“We don’t depend on fertilisers, we can plant organically,” he said.
“What motivates me to come over here and promote my organic farming is seeing the healthy growth of the varieties of cabbage planted which are entirely grown organically.”
Mr. Paul said BOFA formed in 2019 and has 75 members. The association is affiliated to Kastom Garden.
“I came here to promote my Bellona Organic Farmers Association for their hard work.
These cabbages were grown on our Phosphate Island of Bellona, given to us by God,” Mr. Paul said.
He said currently his association made a garden of 150 meter in length and 35 meter in width in preparation for their 1000 cabbages.
Mr. Paul thanked the Kastom Garden staff for their support in terms of seeds.
“My greatest wish is the National Government to devolve its agriculture development plan to institutions such as Kastom garden, it will work better because Kustom Garden has programmes of visiting rural areas in the country,” Paul said.
He said no one from the Ministry of Agriculture visits them.
“If the government through the Ministry of Agriculture and Development devolves all funding in terms of agricultural development to Kastom Garden, they can improve on the agriculture development down to the remote rural areas such as in Bellona.”
Paul said one of their long-term objectives of BOFA is to contribute a supply for the South Pacific Games in 2023 with honey, pawpaws and melon because they can produce such crops organically with high quality.
He added BOFA needs support from the government and others willing to assist his Association.
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
