With just seven months remaining before the Pacific Game in Honiara, a local farmer in Northwest Guadalcanal is working hard to supply fresh fruits and vegetables for the thousands of athletes and visitors expected during the top sporting event.
John Meli is the owner of the MK Farm who says he is ready and calls on responsible authorities to visit his farm.
"Last year the government said they will support local rural farmers so they can meet the criteria in supplying food during the games, but there is no support until now.
"They even promise that the game will give an opportunity for us local farmers to benefit from especially local supplies of fruits and vegetables, but nothing, so we go ahead and produce ourselves and prepare,” Mr. Maeli told Solomon Times.
"I want to benefit from the Pacific Games, that is my aim, and I don’t want to be left behind, already I have supplied outlets in Honiara so I already have the knowledge on how to process and package to meet local demand,” he added.
Mr. Maeli is popular for his supply of Guava fruits and vegetables at the Honiara central markets. He has planted over 20,000 guava trees. Most people (resellers) usually buy guava fruits from his farm and resell them at markets in Honiara.
Meanwhile, Mr. Maeli is currently involved in intercropping, well on his way to becoming one of the main suppliers of fresh vegetables and fruit to markets in the city. His farm also provides job opportunities for his local community with 20 casual workers employed.
The 2023 Pacific Games, officially known as the XVII Pacific Games, will be a continental multi-sport event for Oceania countries and territories that is scheduled to be held in Honiara, Solomon Islands between 19 November and 2 December 2023.