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FSM Conducts Agriculture Workshop at COM-FSM

PALIKIR, Pohnpei (FSM Information Service): August 1, 1997 - FSM Vice President Leo A. Falcam opened a national Agriculture Extension and Marketing Workshop at the Community College of Micronesia-FSM (COM-FSM) Campus in Palikir, Pohnpei, July 28, 1997.

In his opening remarks, Falcam said, "It gives me a great pleasure to have the opportunity to speak to you today, the first day of the First National Workshop for agriculture extension and marketing," adding "...you have been selected because you are the best in the critical areas of extension and marketing in your state."

He urged the participants to take full advantage of the workshop for the knowledge and skills acquired from the workshop are necessary tools they can share with others back in their home states.

The success of this workshop, he said, can only be measured when you successfully passed the skills and knowledge you receive in this workshop.

Falcam asked the participants to join him in thanking the University of Guam, the nature Conservancy and COM-FSM staff for their contributions to the workshop, and the Asian Development bank (ADB) for providing technical assistance for the workshop.

He urge the participants to be active so that they could fully benefited from the workshop and to learn from the resource people as well as from one another.

Falcam emphasized that agriculture is one of our most important sectors in the FSM because it feeds the people and earn valuable foreign exchange. We need to develop the sector as a nation, he said, adding, that each state should help the other states to improve and maximize its production.

The Vice President recalled that the recent Economic Summits mandates that FSM increases its own self-reliance by enhancing exports at the same time decreases heavy reliance on imports, and that the workshop is to help FSM States in realizing those goals and objectives in agriculture.

"The Extension Services," Falcam says, "will target the production of our commodities for household food, for domestic sales or for export," while, "[...] the Marketing Services will target the packaging, transport and sales of agriculture products, to give us a competitive edge in the market place."

Falcam reminded the participants from the state and national governments to remember that their success in achieving the FSM's stated goals in agriculture and other priority development areas depend entirely upon how well the workshop participants interact with farmers, traders, retailers, exporters in the private sector.

The workshop's participants included officers and agents from the State Agriculture and Forestry, Commerce and Industry, Land Departments, Business Development and Livestock Officers from the FSM National Government and College of Micronesia -Community Extension Services.

The Resources persons included those from the University of Guam, COM-FSM, COM-CES, ADB Technical Assistance and the Department of Resources and Development, FSM National Government.

The workshop is scheduled to conclude on August 1, 1997.