Pohnpei Farmers Discuss Yam Disease and Priority Actions

by Dr. Lois Englberger

There was heated discussion at the half-day Pohnpei Yam Farmers' Workshop, held on February 11, 2004, at the Agriculture Conference Room, Pohnpei Agriculture, in Kolonia, reflecting the extreme concern that yam farmers have about the damage a rampaging disease has been causing to their crop lately.

Yam has great cultural importance in Pohnpei, and there are many yam varieties on the island, with some 177 variety names having been recorded. The disease has been reducing yields drastically and causing some of these varieties to become rare, and possibly become extinct. This represents a significant erosion of our cultural heritage, as well as limiting farmers' options for the future and endangering their livelihoods. A visit was therefore made on 25 October to 6 November, 2003, by Stephen Hazelman and Dr Jacqui Wright of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) to look into this yam disease. A series of meetings was organized at that time with yam farmers throughout the island, and this latest meeting was held to present the findings and recommendations to farmers and agree on how to move forward.

Mr Adelino Lorens, Pohnpei Chief of Agriculture and Mr Jackson Phillip, Associate Director, College of Micronesia (FSM) Land Grant Office, coordinated the meeting, with further support by Ms Amy Levendusky, Peace Corps Volunteer, and Dr Lois Englberger, Island Food Community of Pohnpei. The 29 participants included 12 farmers from all around the island.

Mr Konrad Englberger, SPC Plant Protection Service, presented information on the disease, called Yam Anthracnose, and also on a leaf mining fly which might have contributed to the problem. Participants confirmed that the disease has been on Pohnpei for a long time but has gotten worse over the past 5 years. There was much discussion of the names of yam varieties that might be lost in the near future due to the disease.

The meeting also addressed the issue of preserving yam varieties for future generations of Pohnpei farmers. Luigi Guarino, SPC Plant Genetic Resources Adviser, based in Suva, Fiji, who was visiting Pohnpei for the first time, presented information about SPC's activities in support of conservation of the varieties of local food crops in the Pacific, including the Regional Germplasm Center in Fiji (RGC). The RGC uses tissue culture to conserve and distribute the diversity of Pacific food crops. Participants agreed that the yam varieties of Pohnpei should be sent there for safe keeping. Participants agreed to donate sample tubers: the first 50 samples will be collected during the yam season of 2004.

The meeting was closed with a meal of local food including baked yam and yam chips, local chicken soup with yams, and fresh drinking coconuts.