Misima High School on Misima Island in the Milne Bay Province, will now have their own rice for their school mess, after their first harvest from a successful Pilot Rice Project.
This is from Milne Bay Provincial Agriculture & Livestock officer Mr. Skipa Christopher, who said the Department also brought over a rice mill to Misima Island, specifically for the school to use.
“The teachers from the school were trained how to cultivate the rice. They were also trained how to tell when the crop was ready to harvest. And now, they are being trained when and how to harvest the crop and mill it.”
Mr Christopher added that the school’s students are also undergoing training from their teachers, on how to cultivate rice and are now involved in helping to harvest and mill the rice.
“We will also send our officers out to Wesley High school on Fergusson Island, to check the progress of their rice project.”
Most of the rice being cultivated in these school pilot rice projects throughout the province, are the NARI15 rice variety and much progressive reports are provided by the school’s teachers to the Department’s rural development officers, who are based in the districts.
“The Misima High School Administration were quite impressed with the progress of their school rice project and have put forward requests for a tractor as well.”
These school rice projects are expected to cut the cost of rations for boarding students; money that can then be put towards other areas of need in the school itself.
The Milne Bay Department of Agriculture & Livestock are rolling out these school rice projects throughout the province, with Tarawaruru High School, situated near the border of Milne Bay & Northern, next in line.
