An agricultural project has been successfully re-located from the planned site for the main stadium in the 2023 Pacific Games in the Solomon Islands ©SOL 2023 Pacific Games Facebook

An agricultural Field Experimental Station (FES) on land due to become the site of the national stadium that will host the Opening Ceremony and key events at the 2023 Pacific Games in the Solomon Islands has been successfully relocated.

With support from the National Hosting Authority (NHA), the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAL) has transferred the FES to a new Catholic Mission site at Tenaru.

The national stadium of the Solomon Islands is set to host the Opening Ceremony for the Games due to run from November 19 to December 2, and football, rugby and athletics events are also scheduled for the venue.

On May 3, the NHA witnessed the official signing of agreements between the Catholic Archdiocese in Honiara, settlers who farm the land and MAL which enabled the latter’s contractors to start preparatory works at the Tenaru site.

Plaudits have been given for the successful re-location of an agricultural project from the site planned to host the main stadium at the 2023 Pacific Games in the Solomon Islands ©SOL 2023 Facebook
Plaudits have been given for the successful re-location of an agricultural project from the site planned to host the main stadium at the 2023 Pacific Games in the Solomon Islands ©SOL 2023 Facebook

At the ceremony Christian Nieng, executive director of the NHA secretariat, thanked both the Catholic Mission and settlers for paving the way for the FES to be built at the site.

He added that the settlers have also played a pivotal role in allowing their crops and properties to be reasonably compensated by MAL with the support of NHA.

Nieng went on to encourage the settlers, who are mostly small-scale farmers, to listen out for the announcement by the Games' Organising Committee.

They will announce names of successful companies who bid to provide catering services to feed athletes at the Games Village and the main dining area.

The caterers will be the ones buying food that meets their requirements to feed the Games athletes, volunteers and team officials at the 2023 Pacific Games.