New plants already sprouting

Agriculture staff on Aitutaki were the only people glad to see the rain this week as they continued to sow thousands of vegetable and fruit seeds.

Head of agriculture on Aitutaki, Fred Charlie, said that their planting project is well on the way and in a week’s time they will divvy out the germinated vegetable plants to known growers on the island.

The cabbage, bok choi, tomato and lettuce seeds sown on Monday February 15 have already germinated and in a week’s time they will be given to local growers on the island to propagate.

Charlie said that each month they will sow another batch of vegetable seeds to keep a continuous flow of vegetables on the island.

This week the team of around 10 agriculture staff from Rarotonga and Aitutaki were busy planting paw paw and avocado seeds.

Charlie said that once the fruit trees are ready to be planted, they will be given to each household on the island to plant on their property.

The agriculture nursery in Arutanga was spared by cyclone Pat which houses1800 young mango seedlings and 1000 citrus plants plus a range of ornamental plants.

According to Charlie, it will take up to four years before the avocado trees bear fruit and up to six years until the mango seedlings will yield their first fruit.

These too will be given to families on the island to grow.

Propagating root crops is the second stage of agricultural programme and this will begin when what remains of root crops on the island have been used.

Rarotonga agriculture staff have already begun returning to Rarotonga with the four Aitutaki agriculture staff to continue the planting project on the island.