Second Farming Techniques Workshop Bolsters Buol Government Capacity and Involvement

When the Smart Tree Invest project was kicked off in Buol, it was found that local extension office and rural advisory staff lacked the knowledge to properly advise farmers. In late 2015, the project then established eight farmer learning groups in Central Sulawesi’s struggling Buol District, to facilitate knowledge sharing on agroforestry and nursery management. Participants learned about and practiced tree pruning and grafting, organic fertilizer production, and building nurseries. Each group’s village now runs an independent nursery with up to 5000 cacao, durian, pepper, and nutmeg seedlings.