Introducing grafting and marcotting techniques to rural farmers is vital to increase knowledge and utilisation of resources for sustainable livelihoods.

60 participants from the Vaturova District in the province of Cakaudrove recently attended the grafting and marcotting training carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture and Waterways research officers at Nayarabale village.

The ministry’s Senior Research Officer, Kalolaini Colaitinayara advised participants on the importance of implementing the techniques shared.

“It is the role of the ministry through the research division to introduce new technology and knowledge to farmers to improve food and nutrition security.”

“It is also our role to bring these new improved techniques to you and most importantly, it is your role as farmers and individuals to implement it to improve standards of living and increase household income for sustainable livelihoods,” she said.

The two days training was part of the Commercial Agriculture Development Program (CADP) of the ministry.

Training facilitator and Senior Technical Assistant (Fruits) Jope Waqabaca Bola said part of the training approach was to help participants understand the different techniques and stages of grafting and marcotting.

“Farmers attend to their farms on a daily basis and while some have a fair idea of what is grafting and marcotting, there are some farmers who are encountering these techniques for the first time which is why we made sure to have hands on practical training so they know exactly what to do.”

“Farmers in rural areas are normally not aware of new techniques and innovations introduced by the ministry and it is our role to enlighten them and teach them the new techniques that are suitable and sustainable for them,” he said.

“Grafting and Marcotting are plant propagating techniques used by the ministry to produce seedlings in mass and the training at Nayarabale and its settlements was done to build their capacities on fruit seedling propagating techniques.”

While grafting is used to propagate citrus and mangoes, marcotting is used to propagate breadfruit.

Farmers were taught propagating techniques and their essential requirements, bud management and the selection and cutting of rootstock.

Nayarabale farmer Peni Neumi thanked the ministry officials for the training as it has opened their minds to the various opportunities available to them.

“As farmers in the rural areas, we have limited access to new techniques such as the ones that we recently learnt. Nayarabale has intermittent internet and phone connectivity, therefore we have very limited access to the various technologies of farming and have always been traditional farmers,” he said.

“With everything learnt, we will now concentrate on expanding our fruit tree collection through grafting and marcotting methods which will certainly add nutrition to our family meals and earn additional income for our families.”

-ENDS-

• ← Go to all Press Releases