Palau gov’t helps empower farmers to address pests

The Palau government is helping farmers to take part in vector-management activities, empowering them to address pests that impact their products.

In an earlier interview with the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Environment (MAFE) Steven Victor said they are working with farmers to mitigate the risks of vector-borne diseases.

Minister Victor said that there are practices farmers can use to prevent birds from coming and eating fruits or taro.

 “There’s not a big fruit industry in Palau. So we’re looking at ways by which we can have a more affordable way of addressing fruit flies.
“We have begun to work with farmers in raising awareness as well as showing them practical management approach for both their fruit trees as well as the fruit fly so those are some of the ways in which we’re currently working with farmers to address pests,” he said.

 He said there are also traditional ways for farmers to prevent animals that carry diseases from infecting plants or other animals.

But because most of the farmers now are foreign workers, Minister Victor said the ministry is working with these foreign workers for them to understand what to look for, in the plants like taro by which they can reduce the spread of the disease.