Full house expected at breadfruit workshop

Interest has peaked for the Northern Marianas College’s breadfruit workshop, with a full house expected for both days of the event at the Hafadai Beach Hotel ballroom on Friday and the college’s Room D1 on Saturday.

According to the college yesterday, they have reached the maximum capacity for both days. Friday’s event starts at 9am and ends at 5pm, while Saturday’s event starts at 9am and ends at 12pm.

“We are extremely glad to see the heightened interest the breadfruit workshop has generated in the community,” NMC’s Cooperative Research Education and Extension Services acting director Patricia Coleman said. “Through the leadership of Dr. Tusi Avegalio from University of Hawaii, Kalani Souza, Craig Elevitch, and Ivan Blanco, we have been working to make sure that the workshop offers very practical information with hands-on demonstrations.”

NMC CREES collaborated with the Office of the Governor, University of Hawaii’s Pacific Business Center Program, the CNMI Department of Land and Natural Resources, and the CNMI Department of Commerce to host the event.

According to Coleman, the workshop will feature some of the islands’ farmers and community members who will be talking about the successes they have had with growing breadfruit.

These stakeholders aim to build local capacity to advance breadfruit as a commercial crop for local and export markets.

On Friday, Avelgalio, Elevitch, and Souza, among others, will lead presentations on renewing breadfruit as a crop, making flour from breadfruit, breadfruit commercialization, breadfruit agroforesty systems, and breadfruit byproducts like latex, mosquito repellant, and pig food.

Fran Cruz, Nick Songson, and Lucy Schilling will also speak on growing breadfruit in the Marianas.

On Saturday, Souza will speak on breadfruit’s role in community resilience; Cruz will speak on breadfruit propagation, and both Evelich and Souza will speak on food forests and climate change.

Both days will close with a breadfruit raffle, evaluation, and closing ceremony.

Coleman said that “building local capacity” in areas that improve the economic vitality of the CNMI is a strong priority for NMC and CREES.

She thanked the Office of the Governor, DLNR, Department of Commerce, and especially the UH Pacific Business Center for making the workshop possible.