Planning for growth

Under the recently announced project to re-vitalize agriculture in the southern islands, each island has completed a strategic planning exercise to guide island development over the next 4 years. In this issue we examine the plans for Atiu, Mauke and Mitiaro.
ATIU
The island developed their direction for agriculture within the context of a thriving eco-friendly destination conducive to retirees in the immediate to long term.
Agriculture was the third priority in the economic development sector, to serve the priority sectors of tourism and developing a retirement village on the island.
Priority 3: Agriculture
VISION: To be the food bowl’ of the Cook Islands GOALS
1. To increase production of all food sources, flowers
2. To increase variety of food and products
3. To ensure continuity supply of food and products
4. To add value to food and products
5. To export goods and products Source: Enuamanu Strategic Plan 2010/2014
Key actions to attain their vision include:
o Seedling propagation of standard food products and identify other varieties for production, consumption and sale such as snow peas, cherry tomatoes, and ginger;
o Negotiate cheaper air and sea freight rates to Rarotonga and Aitutaki;
o Add value to potential products such as coconut products, dried fruit, preserves, frozen taro/root crops, and frozen goat/pork;
o Improve the water supply for agriculture.
MAUKE
During their Planning exercise, the islanders unanimously agreed that agriculture and food production was the first priority in the development of their island. Without food there was no development in other sectors.
The following identifies their priorities and issues:
Priority 1: Agriculture and Fisheries
VISION
Food for life.
GOALS
To encourage the people of Mauke to be self-sustainable in food production in the short term and the long term progressing into production for cash.
Food security for the people of Mauke by 2020.
ACTION PLAN
— To strengthen the Akatokamanava Farmers’ Enterprise
Short term (3 months)
1. Organize public meetings to advertise “action plan”
2. Organize workshops
3. Crop inspection (tutaka)
4. Plant vegetables and root crops
5. Varietal collection
6. Planting and propagating
7. Land preparation
8. Marine — develop a guideline or calendar in accordance with our traditional customs and modern techniques
Long term (12 months)
1. Plant and propagate fruit trees, root crops, etc.
2. Upgrade harbour for fishing boats
3. Upgrade airport
4. Upgrade plantation and coastal roads
5. Obtain tractors and other machinery
6. Fish aggregate devices
7. Research station
RESOURCES
The fact that the water project was programmed to begin in July this year took care of the people’s concern about water. However they felt it important that technical support and experts were invited at the right times during their planting calendars to assist in cultivation, marketing, preparing for marketing, and supporting the long term growth of supplying food to themselves and Rarotonga.
With the limited workforce, the use of machinery was noted and needed to be finalised to assist in preparing, maintaining and harvesting the crops as they came on stream.
MITIARO
Although Mitiaro (2,500 ha.) is the fourth largest island in the Cook Islands, a significant proportion (about 95%) of the land comprises of the “makatea” (coral limestone and sand) and the brackish swamp and lakes; the more fertile land of volcanic origin comprises only about 5% of the total land area. This limits the opportunities for economic activities to exploitation of crops, products, and services that are naturally productive on or can take advantage of the “makatea” and/or swamp environments.
Opportunities for commercialization of local resources must rely on ready availability and access to market outlets outside Mitiaro, either in Rarotonga or overseas. In spite of the abundance of staple food that is available on the island, such as taro, banana, breadfruit, yam, cassava, kumara, coconuts, avocado, chili, and lime, there has been no headway made in commercializing any of these crops. The only successes remained within the sphere of women’s involvement; handicrafts, and more recently, the marine export. A main reason, though not the only one, had been policy inconsistencies and, or lack of long-term perseverance and commitment to an economic development strategy for the island by the relevant central government agencies. Furthermore, past efforts at commercializing the economy of the island had tended to make Mitiaro more dependent on Government when the bureaucracy in Rarotonga loses interest or moves on to new directions, on-going activities are simply dropped. The people lose heart and confidence in the island’s potential for commercial activities.

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