Margarine Farmers Affected by pest attack

Margarine farmers in North East Guadalcanal particularly, Numbu village are experiencing low crop harvest due to pest attacks on the citrus fruit tree.

Women farmers were greatly impacted as their source of income has been destroyed.

Florence Sambo from Numbu village a margarine farmer told SIBC that this started at the beginning of last year. 

“Currently we have a low harvest in margarine fruits this started at the beginning of last year up to now, we’ve found that a pest attacks the margarine tree’s, the tree will bear lots of fruits however all the leaves will turn yellow and the fruits will have a sour taste to them.”   

The women farmers find that the pests start eating the margarine trees from the inside making the leaves turn yellow before dying off.  

Margarine is the main source of income for the women, during the high harvest season women can earn up to three thousand dollars in a single day in margarine sales Mrs. Sambo said.   

Despite the pests’ attack on the margarine tree’s the farmers this hasn’t stopped the women from planting more margarine trees.  

Report of the pest attack on the tree’s hasn’t being reported to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock.   

By Sharon Nanau