Pohnpei delegation studies integrated farming system during China visit

By Bill Jaynes
The Kaselehlie Press

September 28, 2028
HUZHOU, CHINA — A delegation from the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia, led by Pohnpei Governor Stevenson A. Joseph, visited an agricultural heritage site in Huzhou, China, as part of an ongoing trade promotion seminar, according to a release from Pohnpei Public Information.

The delegation visited the Huzhou Mulberry-Dike and Fish-Pond System, an integrated agricultural system that combines mulberry cultivation, silkworm production, and fish farming. The system has been recognized by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System.

In the system, mulberry trees are planted along the dikes surrounding fish ponds, with their leaves used to feed silkworms for silk production. Waste from silkworm production and nutrient-rich sediment from the ponds are returned to the dikes as fertilizer, while the ponds are used for fish production.

According to Pohnpei Public Information, the system demonstrates how different agricultural activities can be combined to recycle nutrients, reduce waste, improve soil fertility, and provide farmers with income from multiple products.

The release said the visit provided the delegation an opportunity to consider whether principles used in the Huzhou system could be adapted to conditions in Pohnpei and elsewhere in the FSM.

Pohnpei Public Information pointed to agriculture, agroforestry, and fisheries as areas where such approaches could potentially have relevance, particularly in addressing food security, land and water management, and climate resilience.

Officials and private-sector representatives also discussed possible applications of integrated farming and aquaculture practices to local food production, business development, conservation, and tourism, according to the release.

The delegation was also briefed on the role of community management, environmental stewardship, and local knowledge in maintaining the Huzhou agricultural system.

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