Rarotonga, Cook Islands: A $3.5 million Cook Islands Government project will attempt to revitalise the declining agriculture industry in the outer islands from this year.

The funding, approved by cabinet last month, will come directly from the Asian Development Bank $13.4 million economic recovery support loan secured in October.

Deputy prime minister and agriculture minister Robert Wigmore said he was driving the project for Mangaia and the Nga Pu Toru islands – Atiu, Mauke and Mitiaro – because he knows it can work.

The minister announced the project along with secretary of agriculture Anthony Brown and Business Trade and Investment Board chief executive Terry Rangi, who were part of the group of government officials who began working on the concept in September.

Mr Brown said having agencies such as the ministry of infrastructure and planning (MOIP), the office of the prime minister and island administrations working together with agriculture for a common good has been encouraging.

Mr Wigmore was confident that the project would work – if the people are willing to see the potential benefits of working in the industry.

“It’s an opportunity for the islands of Mangaia, Atiu, Mauke and Mitiaro – a lot of people are leaving these islands and now I think they will think again that there is something there for them on their own island.”

The strategy for reviving crop and livestock production to supply food locally was completed late last month and ties in with the current economic development strategy being completed at the same time which encourages locals to produce and consume locally grown food for a healthy lifestyle and economic growth.
Each of the four islands will have its own four year production strategy to maximise the benefits to growers and farmers and the flow-on effects to the economy.
 
Every year around $2.7 million worth of fruit and vegetables are imported and only a ‘handful’ of local growers are supplying the tourism and local market.

The new project aims to reduce the amount spent on imports and have local retailers buying local produce instead, thereby increasing the funds in the local economy.

Mr Wigmore said the project makes sense because the islands make up over 50 percent of the land mass of the entire country.

“When you put them all together the land mass is quite huge compared to Rarotonga and Aitutaki which is only one-third (35 percent of the country’s land mass),” said the minister.

Land may be plentiful, but human resources are not, admits Mr Wigmore.

Altogether the islands have a combined population of about 1200 people – according to the 2006 census 654 people were living in Mangaia – a huge decline from its 1996 population of 1108.

With all four islands experiencing severe depopulation, there are at least two options proposed by government to address the workforce issue.

The first of these is to allow the island’s government employees to use part of their work day for cultivating their own or other farmer’s crops. The majority of people in employment in these islands are in the public service.

The other option which has initially been seen as unattractive by the island communities is to use an artificial or foreign labour force.

Government’s aim will be to work in partnership with the private sector to turn the flagging industry around over the next two years.