Litia Cava 
[Source: Ministry of Agriculture/ Facebook]
The Agriculture Ministry in partnership with the Biosecurity Authority launched a pest management initiative across Moala Island in Lau to address local village concerns.
The teams visited the villages of Cakova, Nasoki, Keteira, and Vunuku, deploying pest traps designed to monitor and control threats such as Rhinoceros Beetles, Fruit Flies, Fall Armyworms, Asian Gypsy Moths and more.
These pest traps are placed at strategic sites to detect any potential new threats to local crops and ecosystems.
Biosecurity officers will collect the traps in two weeks for analysis at the Koronivia Research Station, where an entomology expert will oversee the identification and screening process for any exotic pests.
According to the Ministry, ongoing training by the Ministry’s Food Processing Unit, villagers are learning to process fruits like mangoes and pineapples into jams, as well as turning crops like plantain, cassava and dalo into chips, creating new opportunities for local markets.
The Ministry’s efforts on the island is expected to continue through next week with all training sessions aimed at empowering the community and strengthening local agricultural practices.
