The high rate of rural poverty is a significant concern frequently discussed in district and provincial meetings, according to Minister for Rural, Maritime Development and Disaster Management, Sakiasi Ditoka. His comments came in response to a question from Agriculture and Waterways Assistant Minister Tomasi Tunabuna in Parliament regarding the revival of the Rural and Outer Island (ROI) program and strategies to maximize its effectiveness.
Minister Ditoka pointed out that the rural poverty rate, currently at 36.5 percent, particularly affects subsistence farmers, along with issues related to rural-urban migration. He emphasized that the ministry is collaborating closely with key stakeholders to address these challenges through various development initiatives.
He expressed concern for the rural population living near the poverty line, who are at risk of falling into poverty during economic shocks like the Covid-19 pandemic. The Coalition Government has opted to revitalize the ROI program starting in January 2023.
The revamped ROI program has involved extensive consultations with stakeholders, including private sector representatives, to assess the strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities present within the agriculture, fisheries, and forestry value chains before developing the program’s implementation pathway.
Understanding the value chain system is crucial to ensure that the ROI program is strategically focused and supported by statistical evidence, capable of comprehensively addressing the development needs of rural communities. Key issues identified during stakeholder consultations include access to farm roads, market availability, communication networks, transportation, water supply, and the impacts of climate change, such as rising sea levels and riverbank erosion.
These concerns were consistently raised in district and provincial meetings and open forums. Given the growing needs of rural communities, the revitalized ROI program aims to complement the efforts of the Ministry of Agriculture, as well as the Ministry of Fisheries and Forestry, particularly in enhancing farm access roads, land preparation, market access, value addition, and connectivity.
The program aspires to improve productivity and increase agricultural production, primarily targeting subsistence farmers. Ditoka noted that higher productivity will enhance agricultural output, consequently raising income levels and helping to alleviate rural poverty by increasing the purchasing power of subsistence households.
He indicated that similar strategies would be applied in fisheries and forestry sectors focusing on income-generating projects. The ROI program is designed to enhance food security and nutrition, which are critical indicators of poverty.
To bolster production from rural farmers, the ministry is finalizing its production and farming plan and will soon launch a community awareness program to communicate monthly targets and expected annual post-harvest returns. All production and farming plans will be monitored closely by the ministry’s divisional technical working group, which is chaired by the divisional commissioners.