Objective 1: To foster the sustainable development of horticulture to supply local and distant markets (in Samoa and Cape York Peninsula).

Subproject/objective 1.1: Research information use and needs

Participant groups in both Australia and Samoa have been confirmed.

In Samoa, Commercial growers of Taro and Papaya, Agri-processors & Roadside Stallers are the initial participants targeted by the project. Introductory workshops have been run with people from each group outlining the project objectives to gauge the response of the target groups to the project proposals. The meetings also provided an opportunity for brief informal discussions to provide ideas on any specific issues raised during the meetings.

Unstructured interviews were conducted with five stakeholders during the first project visit to Samoa. These interviews have been recorded in written form.

While in Samoa, various farming / gardening practices were seen, many of which were recorded for possible use in illustrating options for Communities in the Peninsula.

Among the various project discussion sessions held while in Samoa, Visits by the Samoan project officers to Queensland were planned for later this year to maintain a continuity of project progress based on each individuals needs.

In Australia we have communicated with a range of people in the two work areas of Aboriginal Communities and commercial growers near Cooktown.

Initial meetings have been held with key stakeholders in the aboriginal community of Mapoon and stakeholders in other communities of Napranum near Weipa and Lockhart River. The Mapoon community will be the main focus in the initial stages of the project. Each of these communities has similar goals in relation to wanting to promote horticulture development but they are approaching the issue from different angles. In Mapoon, a community farm has recently been established to supply import replacement fruit and vegetables to the community store and in the longer-term supply crops. Yams, Taro and local bush foods not readily available in mainstream marketing. The community is also interested in amenity plantings of local and introduced ornamental and fruiting plants.

Meetings with the Cooktown growers indicate a high level of enthusiasm for the project. They are keen to look at issues that will benefit their current crops such as passionfruit, limes, lychee and rambutan. They are also interested in growing new crops that have a niche market.

Objective 2: To enhance capacity for the development and use of technical information by researchers, extension personnel and farmers.

Subproject/objective 2.1: Capacity development of extension staff (Samoa)

A workshop providing an introduction to social research methods was run for Advisory officers from the Ministry of Agriculture. The newly appointed Information officer, Advisory officer trainees and members of the project team also attended the workshop. As a demonstration, a focus group on information needs was facilitated following the workshop.

Further research on Advisory officers decision-making and information gathering and use is needed to improve their ability to deal with commercial groups including the participant groups. An evaluation of the workshop identified the desire/need for further training in facilitation, running focus groups and pest & disease identification. A report on the workshop and the evaluation is attached.

Two members of the Samoan team will visit Australia in August 2004, to undergo training in the use of social research tools including card sort and semi-structured interviews. This and further visits will include visits to information sources and systems within QDPI&F and the supply chain that may be useful to present to Samoan co-operators.

Subproject/objective 1.1: Research information use and needs.
A series of card sort interviews and several participatory rural appraisals have been conducted with the target groups in Samoa.

The main issues raised by Taro growers during the interviews were the identification of new varieties and managing and identifying pest and diseases without the excessive use of chemical pesticides. Papaya growers wanted more information on growing, husbandry, harvesting and grading standards for papaya as well marketing information such as identifying export markets and price.

Issues relating to packaging and labelling were the main concern for Agro-processors. Finding and accessing information on CODEX and food safety was also an issue for this target group. Overnight storage of produce and maintaining quality and shelf life of produce were the main issues for the Roadside stallers. The need for better record keeping has also been identified to help stallers access financial assistance to develop their businesses.

A series of informal interviews have been conducted with a wide cross section of the Mapoon community and the key personnel involved with the community farm at Napranum. These interviews have helped define their interests in horticulture (both growing and using) and identifying information sources within the community and those external to the community.

Card sort interviews, focus groups and farm visits have been held with commercial growers in the Cooktown area. The need to customise a wide range of horticultural information to take advantage of unique market windows and reduce the impact of the harsh environmental growing conditions were the main issues identified by growers. Information. Selection of varieties and methods of growing and managing specific crops were highlighted.

Subproject/objective 1.2: Develop information strategy.
An information strategy is currently being developed using the concept of "Agricultural Knowledge and Information Systems" (AKIS). Using AKIS, the project team is mapping the "Information supply chains" used by specific target groups, to identify the key information sources, providers and repositories and to investigate importance of the relationships in the dissemination and use of information.

This Information strategy will also document the linkages that have developed between this project and other projects and activities relevant to our target groups. These linkages allow relevant information to be jointly produced and distributed. Examples of these projects and activities include CP/2004/001 - TaroPest: A computer based information and diagnostics package for taro pests of the South Pacific (Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) & University of Queensland), Market Information services (Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF)), Developing Sustainable Agricultural Production (MAF & SPC).

Subproject/objective 1.3: Develop and distribute information kits.
A series of Peninsula garden notes, Native Food plants and Ornamental crop notes have been developed and distributed to target growers and communities in both Cape York and Samoa.

In Samoa, a number of crop management notes covering papaya and taro have been produced and are currently being translated into Samoan for distribution. Taro variety sheets have been developed for 14 different varieties with a further 6 planned.

A project newsletter has been produced to keep stakeholders and other interested parties up to date with activities in the project. Three issues have been distributed electronically in Australia, Samoa and other Pacific countries.

Subproject/objective 2.1: Capacity development of extension staff (Samoa).
Training in the use of card sort interviews and focus groups as social research methods has been conducted during project visits to Australia and Samoa. These research processes have been field tested and modified to help the project team identify the key issues in relation to the access and use of horticultural information relating to decision making.

Subproject/objective 2.1: Enhancing capacity to produce targeted information products (Samoa).
Digital camera workshops were run in Ayr and Innisfail coinciding with project visits from Samoa. The workshops focus was on improving the knowledge and skills of the project team in relation to both print and digital photography. The workshops also covered basic manipulation of images on the computer as well as managing and archiving digital images. So far the project has produced over 5,500 digital images for information products.

A series of computer training workshops with Samoan project staff were conducted during Australian project team visits. Training focused on using Word and PowerPoint as publishing tools and creating document templates

During project visits to Australia, examples of horticultural information sources and systems have been heavily featured to help the project gain an understanding of information is accessed and used. DPI&F information centres, Call Centre, Growsearch and Market Information Services have provided significant insights into information providers. As a result, Crops Advisory division (MAF) are currently investigating the establishment of two Horticulture Information centres.

Subproject/objective 1.2: Develop information strategy
An information strategy has been developed using the concept of "Agricultural Knowledge and Information Systems" (AKIS). Several issues have been identified through the social research that need to be addressed by the Information Strategy: Lack of communication, Inaccessible existing information, Information gaps.

The key elements of this information strategy are:
Improving availability of existing information. A significant amount of horticulture information already exists. However, for various reasons, it is no longer accessible to either our target grower groups or the people providing information to them.
Filling information gaps through the production of targeted information products focused on topics and issues identified through the social research activities.
Developing and implementing a project communication plan. The primary target groups for the communication plan include Project clients (Commercial growers & gardeners in Cape York, Taro growers, Papaya growers, Roadside stallers, Agri-processors and Advisory officers in Samoa), Government & Corporate and other Information providers (Government & NGO's). Communication activities will focus on providing an update of activities in the project, improving access and awareness of new and existing information and demonstrate how the project supports corporate goals
Networking: With the amount of project activity in Samoa and Cape York, there are many opportunities for collaboration to enhance not only the project activities but those of other projects and initiatives. The project needs to generate a culture of working together and sharing information. By taking a lead in developing relationships and networking, the project can add to the information flows well through new and existing relationships.
Build capacity to develop & use information

Subproject/objective 1.3: Develop and distribute information kits
In Australia, the main focus has been an expansion of the already published information crop note series through the development of a more comprehensive information package on horticultural information relating to local conditions. The series titled "Gardening in the Tropics" will consist of eight subject folders covering topics and issues identified through he social research. This series will be initially made is available in printed form and electronically via on CD or DVD. It has the potential to be published in a print on demand booklet format as well.

In Samoa, the focus has been writing and developing a series of crop notes to address information issues identified during the social research. A number of posters have been developed and distributed. Relevant existing information has been collated and distributed to relevant information centres and providers.

Four issues of the project newsletter, "Pacific Gardener", have been produced and distributed in electronic and paper formats. The distribution list within Australia and the Pacific has continued to increase with over 130 subscribers. The newsletter is distributed in two formats, one for Australian subscribers and one for subscribers in Samoa and other Pacific countries. feedback on its content has been very encouraging.

Subproject/objective 2.1: Capacity development of extension staff Samoa
The project has provided an opportunity for an extra six Ministry staff to visit Australia in conjunction with planned project visits. These visits have been tailored to their specific work needs and interests. Feedback from each of the officers has been very positive and their experiences have had a beneficial flow on effect in Samoa. Areas of interest have included Extension systems particularly related to tropical fruit industries, Market price recording and Product quality awareness.

Subproject/objective 2.2: Enhancing capacity to produce targeted information products (Samoa)
Training workshops covering information use and production and using Word and PowerPoint as publishing tools have been carried out during project visits to Samoa. An additional training workshop in using Word to create document templates and reports and using it as publishing tool was delivered to Crops Division staff.

Subproject/objective 1.4: Project evaluation and reporting
The project team presented project outcomes to the Executive team for the Samoan Ministry of Agriculture and project operators and information providers in Samoa and the Pacific in December, 2006. Copies of the Samoan focused information, produced during the project, were distributed during these presentations.

An evaluation plan has been developed based on Bennett's Hierarchy. Trial interviews and focus groups were conducted during project visits to Samoa in October and December 2006. Feedback from these initial activities has been encouraging. The interviews are currently being finalised for the preparation of the final report

Interviews with community stakeholders in Mapoon, Naparnum and Aurukun and commercial growers in Cooktown have been conducted with the initial analysis showing a widespread positive perception towards the information system being produced and distributed. The interactions with project peninsula co-operators are being summarised in "story style" accounts.

2.3. Increase capacity of extension staff and farmers to use information
Training workshops covering the access and use of horticultural information have been carried out during project visits to Samoa and Australia.

Training in managing electronic information has been ongoing throughout the project and has continued during project visits by the Samoan project team members to Australia.

Project review
The project was reviewed in May, 2007. While most of the original project objectives had been met with the initial publications and information produced by the project for papaya, taro and breadfruit, the review team felt there were opportunities to enhance project impacts.

The project review team recommended a 12 month extension to the existing project covering the recommendations and follow-up activities that would considerably add value to the existing project outputs. These activities would enhance project impacts with an increased effort to fully utilize the value of the project information produced.

Based on the review recommendations, the project extension is to focus on:
Increase the adoption of existing crop specific information products from the project (Recommendations 1 & 5) - Samoa.
Increase the capacity of project team to train Crops Division staff and other information providers in the production of targeted information products (Recommendation 2).
Development of a resource manual to facilitate gardening projects (community gardens & nurseries, school, amenity & household gardens) in remote tropical locations - Australia.
Completion of the remaining project outputs including training manuals, social research and evaluation reports (Recommendation 3 & 4).
Designing a succession plan to continue the publication and distribution of the project newsletter, Pacific Gardener.