The village of Tapatapao hosted its first-ever Talomua yesterday.
Farmers around the area witnessed the display of a variety of root crops, vegetables, fruits as well as tilapia and freshwater eels farmed in the nearby freshwater ponds.
The village, Talomua was organized and coordinated by one of the local farmers of Tapatapao, Mr Fausa Sugalu Pasia. This event was supposed to take place a few weeks ago but was delayed due to the Covid-19 nationwide lockdown.
The farmers’ representative Mrs Fulu Maselina Nauer, relayed their request to the government for assistance in order to improve electricity and phone network coverage for some parts of the village.
The Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, La’auli Leuatea Schmidt, congratulated the organisers expressed his appreciation for the farmers and fishers’ efforts in organising a successful event and assured them that the collaboration between the Government and the Tapatapao village will continue for their community developments.
He encouraged the village to look into establishing tilapia aquaculture to invest in as one of their future projects under the District Development Funding Scheme and to request the government for assistance.
The village gifted a variety of agricultural produce to the Minister as a token of their appreciation.
All the Talomua gifts from Tapatapao were later donated to the elders at Mapuifagalele at Vailele and the Carmelite sisters at Vailima.
The Ministry provided five hundred seedlings of coconut and fruit trees, packets of vegetable seeds as well as some farming tools and equipment for the farmers of Tapatapao.
