Agriculturalists can obtain vital info




When the taro leaf blight was discovered in Samoa in 1993, there was hardly any internet or new generation network facility or support groups the Samoans could turn to to provide remedies.
That blight effectively wiped out the nation’s entire crop, causing export earnings to fall from T9.5 million to 158,000 Tala in just one year.
Being the staple diet and top export earner, the Samoans were devastated.
Today, it is a different ball game. Civil servants around the Pacific can access such information or any other information with great ease—at the click of a mouse—thanks to the Pacific Agriculture and Forestry Policy Network (PAFPnet).
The network is hosted by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community’s (SPC), Land Resources Division—www.spc.int/lrd/
Through the network one can find information like how this economic loss (caused by taro leaf blight) coupled with increases in export costs had forced the Samoan government to import staple dietsd to replace taro.
Recently farmers in Vanuatu used the same network to look for used equipment for a certain agricultural industry. Other Pacific nations have also taken advantage of the information available on the network to enhance their agricultural projects.
Pest advisory leaflets on the network also provide information on how to treat various pests and diseases such as kava dieback disease and taro beetle and experiences about prevention and other pest management techniques. 
Information is also on food security—a major issue in any society—and requires officials to keep up-to-date with what is happening in the world around us and nearby too.
The network is about sharing regional and international information and experiences to alert people about what is going on in the region and globally, Marita Manley, the SPC's agriculture and forestry policy adviser, said.
“It's practically government officials sharing information for the betterment of their agricultural industry,” she said.
The network was established with funding from CTA (the Technical Center for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation) based in the Netherlands. They've provided 180,000 Euro for the further development of the network for next two years .
The network comprises policy officials and representatives from regional and international organisations. It also recognises NGOs, the private sector, and local community groups as important players in determining policy direction and action, and as such their involvement is promoted.
PAFPNet works towards forging closer alliances and cooperation with other regional and international networks, particularly within the ACP group.