Applying web skills to boost farming outcome Photo: SUPPLIED/OnSide
Young farmers in the Pacific are being taught web and social media skills to help them earn more, and to share information with other farmers in the region.
The workshop, by the Pacific Organic and Ethical Trade Community, or POETCom, began in Niue last week, and will move to the Cook Islands and the Marshall Islands.
POETCom's coordinator, Karen Mapusua, says farming is often just seen as manual labour by young people, but social media and internet skills can be useful in the agriculture sector.
"It can be used for marketing, direct marketing to consumers and as part of campaigns. But it can also be used for sharing information and sharing learning and solving problems between farmers, so it's a really valuable tool, particularly in that area of information sharing, extension work, building capacity of farmers."
Karen Mapusua says knowing what's happening in the market on any given day, and the prices and availability of products can also help farmers respond to market needs more quickly.
