The new coconut breed released to farmers bears more fruits and recovers quickly from cyclones and natural disasters.
The breed, Mua Hybrid, was released last week during the Minister for Agriculture Dr Mahendra Reddy’s visit to Taveuni.
The breed, farmers have been told, is a cross-breed of the Rotuman Tall and the Maleyan Red.
Research officer Sefanaia Nakelikeli explained to farmers that this breed produced bigger sized nuts which contained thicker flesh.
“The flesh in this Mua Hybrid is much thicker than other coconuts and the trees are not tall but of average height,” he said.
“If these trees are planted properly, it won’t be easily taken down by cyclones because of its thick trunk.
“The recovery period after a cyclone is faster compared to other coconut trees, and we have tested that.”
Coconut farmer Latai Smith thanked the ministry for producing this hybrid as farmers get mostly affected following cyclones.
“When cyclones affect our copra farms, we suffer because it’s a source of income for us,” she said.
“So having this new breed will help us a lot, especially the faster recovery period and farmers don’t have to wait for long.”
