MAKIRA ULAWA PEOPLE NOW TAKING PRIDE IN BANANA

Banana diversity at last year’s festival. Photo credit: terracircle.org.au

Chairman of the Makira Banana Festival Noel Mamau has said Makira Ulawa people are now starting to take pride in farming bananas after last year’s inaugural Banana Festival.

In an interview with SIBC News, Mr Mamau said after last year’s show, a lot more people have joined banana growing groups.

“We have got a lot of interest in banana growing at the moment; a lot of groups are forming up to grow banana and I am very pleased with this because before that, our people in Makira Ulawa were a bit shy about banana but since the festival last year people are now taking pride in the crop and would like to see it being promoted.”

He added with the festival they want to see that banana planting is encouraged in the province.

“Through the festival we want to see banana growing and production is encouraged and we want to move into the downstream processing of banana not only for Makira market but also for the Solomon market and of course the MSG market under the Melanesian Trade Agreement.”