The Gold Ridge Women Farmers’ Poultry Project has acknowledged the support of the Solomon Islands Agriculture and Rural Transformation (SIART) Project, which is helping women farmers expand poultry production and strengthen their businesses.

Chairlady Joyce Pohungke said SIART support had enabled the group to improve its poultry housing and increase the capacity of each building to accommodate up to 500 broiler birds at a time.

On Thursday, 27 August, the first group of women received 300 broiler chicks through the continued support of the SIART Project.

“In six weeks, the women expect to sell the birds for between $150 and $200 each to neighbouring communities and the Gold Ridge Mining Company,” Pohungke said.

The Gold Ridge Women Farmers’ Poultry Project is among 32 Agribusiness Producer Organisations (ABPOs) in Guadalcanal Province that have grant funding agreements with the SIART Project.

In addition to supporting increased broiler production and sales, SIART is helping the women strengthen the capacity of ABPO members through climate-resilient poultry training.

The project is also supporting improvements to existing poultry units to accommodate more birds while maintaining appropriate spacing and ventilation to promote healthy bird growth.

SIART has also provided the group with office equipment and stationery to strengthen its administration and record-keeping.

The SIART Project is funded by the World Bank and implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL) to support the transformation and development of Solomon Islands’ agriculture sector.

World Bank Resident Representative for Solomon Islands Bernard Harborne visited the poultry farm at Gold Ridge on 21 August, where he met local farmers and heard about the progress of the project and its impact on the community.

The Gold Ridge Community Women’s Association has more than 200 members living in and around the Gold Ridge area.

The group has been producing broiler chickens since 2021.

The continued support through SIART is helping the women expand production, strengthen their livelihoods and develop a more sustainable community-based poultry enterprise.