Taro and mushroom potential exploited

SOUTHERN region agricultural officers and farmers will meet in Alotau this week to discuss the potential of taro and mushroom as news industries.
More than 50 participants from the five Southern region provinces and government agencies are expected for the two-day workshop starting tomorrow.
The workshop, organised by the Department of Agriculture and Livestock (DAL), will discuss issues relating to the production and development of taro and mushroom.
This includes presentation on pest and diseases of taro, land use and sustainability, post-harvest handling and marketing, food safety standards, extension and others.
DAL’s science and technology branch is facilitating the two-day workshop, which will include presentations from the National Agriculture Quarantine and Inspection Authority (NAQIA), Fresh Produce Development Agency (FPDA), National Agriculture Research Institute (NARI), and DAL itself.
The outcomes from the workshop will form the basis for project proposals on development of taro industry and the introduction of mushroom as a viable crop in the region.
Mushroom is a potential protein supplement, which can be grown at the backyard
DAL officers, who will be presenting the papers, will help the farmers to grow mushrooms with necessary training.
Agricultural advisers, senior agricultural officers and farmers from Western province, Gulf, Central, Oro and Milne Bay will participate in the workshop
This would be capped with a field visit to the Bubuleta station where the provincial administration is promoting taro and other food crops.