Delays to bold plans for gluten-free kuru flour

Delays to bold plans for gluten-free kuru flour Covid-19 lockdowns have stymied plans to mill gluten-free breadfruit flour for local bakers and for export. Three hundred ma’afala kuru breadfruit tissue cultured plants were to be airfreighted into Rarotonga from Fiji’s Pacific Community lab last month – but the flights were cancelled. Te Tango Enua president […]

Support package for growers and home gardeners

In order to help provide food security for the people of the Cook Islands in these ‘unprecedented times’, the Ministry of Agriculture is introducing a sup-port package for growers and home gardeners to provide a supply of fresh produce for the country over the next three to six months. Under the package the Ministry will […]

Cabbages for dinner tonight!

Cabbages for dinner tonight! Senior students at Apii Avarua are participating in the first school growing programme to encourage them into agriculture careers. The programme is in partnership with Korero o te Orau, Te Ipukarea Society and the Ministry of Health. The Agriculture Ministry said the programme involved teaching students the benefits of growing their […]

Fencing or tying dogs may be ‘new reality’

Fencing or tying dogs may be ‘new reality’ Agriculture investigators unable to confirm cause of dog’s poisoning. Te Are Manu vet clinic president Patricia Barton has slammed the recent deaths of dogs from pesticide poisoning as tragic and totally unnecessary. Last week a family had to euthanase their family dog Timmie, after they say he […]

The ‘cruel’ poisoning of pet dog

The ‘cruel’ poisoning of pet dog The suspected poisoning of a family pet has brought new demands for a ban on the lethal herbicide paraquat. A family are calling on locals to be vigilant and know where their animals are at all times. Nick Carter and his family have lost their two-and-a-half-year-old dog Timmie – […]

Kids to be taught to grow food

Kids to be taught to grow food The agriculture ministry has created a pilot school garden programme in partnership with the Korero O te Orau, to teach about agriculture and its importance for livelihoods. Grower Danny Mataroa says the programme is good for the children – and good for our future. People seemed to think […]

Pressure for pesticides ban

Pressure for pesticides ban Paraquat bans give new momentum to calls for Cook Islands to go organic. Fiji has this month become the third Pacific Island nation in quick succession to restrict the pesticide Paraquat as well as the insecticide Imidacloprid. Fiji’s agriculture minister Mahendra Reddy said the hazardous chemicals caused extreme effects on human […]

Public Service Award

agriculture cook islands award psc

Mr Russell Thomas, the Public Service Commissioner (PS Commissioner) was pleased to reward today- Mrs Temarama Anguna-Kamana, Ms Tepaeru Herrmann and Ms Diane Charlie-Puna with their Public Service Performance Merit Awards for the 2018/19 Financial year. These awards were in recognition of their performance as Public Service Leaders or Heads of Ministries (HOMs), whose performance […]

Coconut Industry Development regional meeting in Rarotonga.Coconut Industry Development regional meeting in Rarotonga.

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The Cook Islands Ministry of Agriculture is pleased to be hosting a Coconut Industry Development for the Pacific (CIDP) meeting in Rarotonga. The Minister of Agriculture, the Hon. Rose Toki Brown welcomed participants from Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands to the final meeting of the project. […]