FSM Integrated Agriculture Census Pilot Testing Training held at the former Pohnpei Agriculture and Trade School Campus in Madolenihmw, Pohnpei.

The Pilot Testing Training for the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) Integrated Agriculture Census Project officially opened on Monday morning, January 18, 2016, at the former Pohnpei Agriculture and Trade School (PATS) Campus in Madolenihmw, Pohnpei. 

The integrated agriculture census project is a nation-wide effort to enumerate household activities in agriculture, forestry, livestock and fisheries. It will provide a much-needed statistical profile of the country in these sectors and enable the assessment of FSM’s capacity in food security.  The census is the first of its kind; a multi-sector cooperative effort which will create an opportunity to empower our natural resource management and statistics agencies in evidence-based policy management and development.

During the five-day training, the State Trainers will be coached on team management elements of this project, review the census questionnaire, practice in mock exercises and then field test the questionnaires in the pilot exercise.

 

This Training was facilitated by the FSM Department of Resources (FSMR&D) in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) and US Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Services Agency (USDA-NRCS). The twenty-six training participants were from – Chuuk Department of Agriculture, Chuuk Marine Resources Department, Kosrae Department of Resources and Economic Affairs, Kosrae Island Resource Management Authority, Pohnpei Office of Economic Affairs’ Division of Agriculture, Pohnpei Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Forestry, College of Micronesia – FSM’s Pohnpei Cooperative Extension Services, Yap Department of Resources and Development’s Divisions of Agriculture and Forestry and Marine Resources, and National Statistics’ Chuuk, Kosrae and Pohnpei Field Offices.

The Training was opened by Mr. Mathew Chigiyal, Statistics Assistant Secretary, on behalf of the Department Secretary Marion Henry and welcomed by Ms. Alissa Takesy, Resource Management and Development Division, where they paid their highest respect to the land, traditional leadership, church leaders and communities in Madolenihmw for hosting this nation-wide training endeavor.

 “This training is a milestone for our Agriculture Policy and ‘a dream come true’ for those of us who have been in this work (agriculture) for years” explained Mr. Adelino Lorens, Chief of Pohnpei State Agriculture Division.  “This census will help us to take stock of our natural resources, guide us in developing them, and put them on reserve for traditional use as we are experiencing in this sakau (kava) ceremony hosted by our Pohnpei State hosts” said Assistant Secretary Chigiyal at the closing reception.

Ms. Marlyter Silbanuz, FSMR&D Agriculture Program Manager, and Ms. Brihmer Johnson, FSMR&D Statistician, concluded the training with each State training team selecting their pilot testing enumeration area, scheduling their respective field exercises and providing feedback to the training facilitators to finalize the census questionnaire and progress towards the census enumeration schedule in July 2016.  On behalf of the Department and training facilitators, Ms. Takesy gave the closing statement and expressed her sincerest appreciation to the Madolenihmw local community members of Nanwei, Temwen, Leihak,  Tamworohi, Keprohi, Pohnauleng, Mand, and Pohnmweli  for volunteering their time in taking part in the pilot testing.

For details, please contact the Department of Resources and Development, by email: fsmrd@fsmrd.fm or telephone: +691 320-2620/2646/5133.