Pacific

Vanuatu makes first ever export of live cattle to Solomon Islands

08:51 am on 8 November 2011

Vanuatu has made its first ever export of live cattle to Solomon Islands last week.

The Vanuatu's vessel Nakato left Luganville harbor in main Vanuatu's island of Santo with 400 live cattle last week.

The first export was made by one of the country's biggest cattle farmers, Peter Colmar.

Mr Colmar has received last year the fund from the government of Australia to develop the cattle breed in the Vanuatu's islands.

The islands of Vanuatu have not yet benefit from the australian fund but Solomon Islands is the first one.

400 live cattle departure from Santo followed the signing agreement between the minister of agriculture of Vanuatu, James Ngwango and his counterpart from Solomon Islands.

The agreement also covered the exchange of experts and training in the field of livestock between the two countries.

The department of livestock in Vanuatu said that Solomon Islands needs the assistance of Vanuatu to rebuild its beef industries following the ethnic tension between the people of Malaita and Guadalcanal.