Earnings from the Rocks

The Taiwan Farm has promoted subsistence farming to fellow interested farmers on the capital and motivates them to compete in various competitions in growing vegetable crops to attain better health status. In their other development, they have succeeded in growing many types of vegetable crops and sell it to the public. This result in the improvement of the natives’ dietary health status

Beginning from a few years back, the Department in collaboration with the Taiwan Embassy in Funafuti setup a farm naming the “Te Taugasoa Fiafia Farm” meaning Happy Friendly Farm. From there, the eyes of the people were upon this farm development and most of the time there are new visitors to the farm in curiosity of the Taiwan expert and his willing to grow crops.

The site is a very rocky area where all the Pigpens are located. All the Pigpens were re-allocated to newly build pens which were financially assisted by the Taiwan Embassy. The extension of the Farm went swiftly due to the financial assistance from the Taiwan Embassy, and labour service from the Departments. Not so long after that, the weeding of the area begins after the excavation, and later on, the planting begins. It takes about 2 whole years for the excavation and the weeding to complete before growing takes place.

Many crops were grown in the “Te Taugasoa Fiafia Farm”, but the boundary was embedded with flower plants and pumpkin. This benefits the local very much because the flowers growing on the farm boundary can be used by the people in social occasion for decoration and making garlands., same for the pumpkin, Pig farmers or pass-by can pollinate and harvest for food security purpose. This promotes the peoples food security and their livelihoods.

All the crops on the farm will be taking care by irrigation and those are the crops that consider to be selling to the public. Every Friday, in good or bad weather, people will line up on the Farm gate waiting to buy vegetable crops from the Farm. This brings in revenue to the Department and food security secureness to the people of Tuvalu