Food and Agriculture Documentation

The following informatiion has been produced through the support from FAO to assist the Cook Islands Ministry of Agriculture meet their priorities.

The following are the current priority areas for the agriculture sector:

Minimisation of pest intrusions by streamlining and tightening quarantine activities at the ports of entry
Review and update the biosecurity legislation of the country
Increasing the local production of livestock (pigs, poultry, goats) fruits, vegetables and root crops to cater for the increased demand on the local market brought about partly by the expanded tourism industry
Management of horticultural pests and diseases
Promotion of organic agriculture due to world trends and the increasing input costs associated with the conventional methods of production
Re-establishing the agricultural research station on Mauke for the benefit of all islands
In collaboration with FAO, USP and SPC, implement funded projects in pest management, agricultural production & marketing, floriculture, food standards, information acquisition and dissemination, plant propagation, and agriculture infrastructure

Survey to establish the status of livestock diseases
Management of livestock diseases
Management of viral infestations on selected crops
Potential market outlets overseas for Cook Islands agricultural products
Food processing/value adding and their potential for the local and export markets
Post harvest treatment of crops
Agricultural labour market