IRETA is one of the 6 institutes of the University of the South Pacific (USP), set up in the early 1980s with NZAID to compliment agricultural development efforts of the South Pacific region. IRETA is located within the USP, Alafua Campus-Samoa, and has maintained strong collaborative relations with the School of Agriculture and national governments of the Pacific-ACP countries. IRETA has also been a long serving Branch Office of the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Co-operation (CTA), Netherlands, for the Pacific region and has worked closely in partnership with several donor agencies and programs, such as USAID-SPRAD, USAID-CAD (Cornwell and University of Hawaii), EU-PRAP, the Commonwealth Secretariat, Republic of China (ROC/Taiwan), Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) and others.

IRETA, a small yet significant organization, contributes towards increased food production and the sustainable development of agriculture in the Pacific region. These contributions are directed to address the wider goals of poverty reduction, improved food security and an educated and healthy population. IRETA programs are prioritized in consultation with its stakeholders, Agriculture Liaison Officers (ALOs) national Ministries of Agriculture, and IRETA’s Advisory Board to reflect IRETA’s mission statement which is to:

“Generate, acquire and disseminate agricultural technology and information to empower stakeholders – including women – to improve food security, market access and opportunities for self-employment and contribute to sustainable agricultural development.”

IRETA is one long serving institute of the University of the South Pacific designed specially to cater for needs of the agricultural community by providing information services, training, extension and research work. There are seven operational departments with various functions to serve the Pacific agricultural community.

1. Training Department: The CDD provides educational non-formal trainings aimed to enhance the capacity of all those involved in agricultural development. Food security, value adding, processing, socio economic development, trade, marketing, social capital, gender equality, governance are some key areas the provide the basis for IRETA to select workshops and study visit topics. The areas of training needs are identified by IRETA’s Advisory Board, ALOs and its Stakeholders. The CDD arranges for resource people, venues and covers travel costs, accommodation, per diems for participants and support staff. The workshops have established warm working relations between IRETA and the governments of the Pacific Island Countries and people. (for more information contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )

2. Publication Department: IRETA’s Publication Unit serves its stakeholders with agricultural information through the production and distribution of its specific publications. IRETA’s regional monthly newsletter (SPAN) updates our audience with the latest agricultural developments and initiatives as implemented by various countries of the Pacific region. (for more information contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )

3. Research Department: One of the major mandates for IRETA is to provide active regional research coordination in enhancing food production, documentation and dissemination of sustainable agricultural technologies in the Pacific region. (for more information contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )

4. Video Department: The role of the Video Unit is to provide video services to facilitate and implement IRETA programmes in research, extension, training, and broad aspects of rural development. (for more information contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )

5. Information and Networking Department: The IND provides active and proactive information services for sustainable agricultural production in the Pacific. IRETA actively sources, documents and delivers regional information needs of the stake holders. (for more information contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )

6. Website Department: IRETA’s website was established in 2004, although some information about IRETA was included as part of the USP’s website. The main purpose is to provide easy access and comprehended information about IRETA to all users. The website hopefully will provide IRETA by informing its stakeholders about its programs and activities, and giving information to existing users and also to those who need to know about IRETA. The website will help to put IRETA newsletter (SPAN) online, with a much bigger audience and readership. Through the website IRETA will be able to provide services to its stakeholders much more effectively and with lower cost. (for more information contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )

7. Agriculture Liaison Officer (ALO) Department: The ALO network began its operation in 1983 as two way linkages between IRETA and the USP member countries. The network has 10 ALOs and remains the cornerstone of IRETA’s outreach program in information sharing and dissemination to its stakeholders within and between the Pacific ACP-member nations. Apart from an annual ALO meeting to review its current year’s achievements and plan the following year’s programs, the ALOs also contribute to IRETA’s South Pacific Agriculture News (SPAN) that is widely distributed and read through the Pacific region. ALOs provide coordination role for most of IRETA activities at the national level. ALO network serves as the éyes’ and ‘ears’ of IRETA in promoting information exchange and development at the national level. (for more information contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )

8. ALO Network: The ALO network is made up of 10 Agricultural Liaison Officers from around the Pacific. These countries include Cook Islands (1), Fiji (1), Kiribati (1), Niue (1), PNG (1), Samoa (1), Solomon Islands (1), Tonga (1), Tuvalu (1), and Vanuatu (1). The ALOs provide a two way link between IRETA and agriculture ministries, farmers and other organizations within their countries. The ALO network’s main goal is to ‘Strengthen national research and extension activities and improve national agricultural information and communication services in the Pacific region.

• Write or facilitate submission to SPAN of 11 well written articles of about 250 words plus photo or illustration for 11 SPAN issues covering a wide range of agricultural, forestry’s, and fisheries activities, events etc
• Arrange, collect, facilitate for submission to IRETA 2 articles for JOSPA
• Identify and submit within two months, 2 national agricultural publications at the request of the Director, IRETA to specific ALOs
• Distribute monthly issues of SPAN, other printed materials, videos, etc on timely basis
• Provide support to IRETA’s QAS and other information services pf agricultural stakeholders
• Maintain and strengthen linkages with local clients, amongst ALOs, IRETA and other regional organizations.

1. Ngatokorua Takau
2. Unlucky Tungata
3. Makiroa Ben
4. Noo Aiturau
5. Sabati N. Solomona