The Fisheries Division – Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF) has been implementing the Pacific Islands Rural and Agriculture Stimulus Facility (PIRAS) Project since September 2021. This is a regional initiative aimed at minimising the impact of COVID-19, funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) through the Rural Poor Stimulus Facility and the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
The PIRAS Project supports food system and economic recovery by prioritising food self- reliance, improving local nutrition and developing sustainable equitable agricultural livelihood opportunities for rural communities in Samoa and other Pacific Island Countries included under the project such as Fiji, Kiribati, Solomon Island, Tonga and Vanuatu.
In Samoa, PIRAS is executed through twelve (12) local partners such as farmers and fisheries associations, non-government organisations and state-owned enterprises. One of the local partners is the Samoa Aquaculture Farmers Association with a total grant of USD35, 000 equivalent to SAT92, 000. The association’s main activity is to procure tilapia feed from overseas for more than 50 active tilapia farmers. Through the project, the association received two containers from Fiji with the first one in February 2023 contained of 350 bags of 25kg/bag and the second one arrived last week contained of 655 bags of 25kg per bag.
Tilapia farming plays a vital role in ensuring food and nutritional security in rural and isolated communities, generates income from market sales, and is affordable and available locally throughout the year. Fisheries Division-MAF is currently maintaining and producing a high quality tilapia fingerlings, which are being distributed to more than 50 farmers around Samoa operated by families, churches, villages and organisations.
Today, all the tilapia farmers in Upolu gathered at the Fisheries Division Office to officially open the container of tilapia feed for disbursement. The Associate Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Afioga Fuimaono Maiava Tito Asafo delivered the keynote address and acknowledged the funding support from IFAD, DFAT and PIRAS as well as hard work carried out by the farmers in developing and promoting tilapia in Samoa.
“Let’s continue working together to help raise your profile and strengthen the necessary support that ensures increase tilapia farms opportunities for our local and rural communities as well as a sustainable fisheries for present and future generations”.
Orignally published on Government of Samoa Facebook