02 Oct 2019 Pacific Week of Agriculture Apia. Winners of the regional “Celebrating Agriculture in the News” (CAN) competition were recognised in an informal presentation on Monday at Tanoa Tusitala Hotel.
The CEO for the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) Professor Andrew Campbell and Australia High Commissioner, HE Sara Moriarty presented certificates to 13 out of the 16 shortlisted journalists and communications experts from across the Pacific region in a Pacific agricultural reporting competition.
“The media plays an important role in facilitating public dialogue about agriculture and translating scientific data into stories” said Professor Andrew Campbell.
The awards ceremony was attended by development agencies, agriculture researchers and scientists. The entrants represented four Pacific nations and were invited to partake in the week long CAN Media Masterclass organised by ACIAR in collaboration with ABC International Development.
The purpose of the CAN Media Masterclass was to form a Pacific Media Unit that will report on the Pacific Agriculture Week Meeting as well as help develop and enhance the reporting skills of the journalists and professional communicators to better cover agriculture in the Pacific.
So far the workshops have met with a number of Pacific based organisations to discuss the range of ACIAR projects underway in the region including a talk by ACIAR project leader in the Pacific, Professor Steven Underhill and Karen Mapusua of the Pacific Community (SPC).
The week includes a field trip to various projects in Samoa and the opening of the Agriculture Show.
The CAN competition was open to practicing journalists from Fiji, Papua New Guinea,Vanuatu, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Kiribati or Tuvalu.
The entries also contributed to research into agricultural issues in the Pacific conducted by ABC International Development (ABCID) and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research.
List of Participants:
Adelaide Sirox Kari -PNG
Cedric Patjole – PNG
Elizabeth Ah-Hi – Samoa
Illeyah Draunidalo – Fiji
Iliesa Tora – Fiji
Jean Pierre Niptik – Vanuatu
Josefa Kotobalavu – Fiji
Lillian Kenega – PNG
Mereoni Mili – Fiji
Priscilla Joanne Waikaidi – PNG
Rachel Tarsan – PNG
Samantha Rina – Fiji
Talei Tora – Fiji
