Sivaniolo Lumelume 
The Province of Namosi is facing a major agricultural crisis, with 50 to 60 percent of Yaqona farms affected by the Kava Dieback Disease.
The disease is posing a significant threat to the livelihoods of farmers, who rely heavily on kava as a primary source of income.
Namosi Agriculture Officer Alumeci Somumu described the challenge as severe, noting that KDD has caused extensive damage to kava plants across the province.
“Percentage-wise, it’s 50 to 60 percent so far. We are trying to do awareness during bose ni tikina or bose vakoro to make the farmers aware of what they can do.”
Somumu provided practical advice for farmers to mitigate the impact of KDD, in which the top node needs to be cut during a sunny day so that the place where they cut becomes dry again.
Namosi Provincial Administrator Laisenia Tui emphasized that the government is exploring alternative income-generating commodities to support farmers during this crisis.
“But this needs a lot of training and exploration and other research and support, technical support, to enable the farmers in Namosi to go into that level of farming and get more income out of it.”
The government, along with agricultural experts, continues to explore long-term solutions to control the spread of KDD and restore the yaqona industry, which is a cornerstone of Namosi’s economy.
