NatureFiji-MareqetiViti

01/07/2010 - Louise Owen

Nature-Fiji Mareqeti-Viti attended the sago planting day in Galoa, Serua province.
The Fiji sago palm or soga, essentially restricted to the province of Serua, is now severly threatened by unrestricted harvesting for thatching by the tourist industry. Until recently, soga has only been harvested from wild populations with no replanting or support for young trees.

Members of the Serua province and officals from government all came together on this memorable day

Galoa village, a soga harvesting community, held a soga planting day to establish a soga plantation which can be sustainably harvested for thatch in the future. The event was well attended with at least 100 people taking part, including official representatives from Serua province, the police, agriculture and forestry departments. Led by project officier Kolinio Moce, 5 members, staff and volunteers from NFMV took part, bringing 50 young soga grown from seed for planting.

Official representatives from government showed their support for the initiative by planting the first Sago palm

It was estimated that 1000 soga were planted on the day, the confirmed number will count towards Fiji's plant a million trees campaign. NVMV is pleased to see such a positive outcome of the work done in the past two years to raise awareness about soga in the area.

The women of the Serua province are the main beneficiaries of the Sago palm thatch trade.