Tuvalu Form 5 Agriculture Science

This two-year Vocational Agriculture Certificate course aims to equip students with practical agricultural skills and knowledge. The course is designed for students aged 13-25 who are interested in agriculture. The curriculum emphasizes both theoretical and practical learning, preparing students for further education or employment in the agricultural field. The program also aims to contribute to national food security by increasing local food production.

Year 1

• Unit 1: Occupational Health and Safety
• This unit covers the importance of safety procedures when handling chemicals, tools, and equipment, including protective clothing, proper storage, and safe handling of livestock.
• Unit 2: Crop Production
• Students learn about nursery construction and maintenance, soil preparation, planting, managing, and harvesting vegetable crops, pest and disease management, post-harvest handling, and marketing. Crops studied include Chinese cabbage, capsicum, tomatoes, cucumber, pumpkin, French bean, watermelon, sweet corn, dalo, sweet potato, and pulaka.
• Unit 3: Farm Business Management
• This unit focuses on problem-solving, decision-making, financial planning, risk management, and the overall management of a farm. Topics include identifying farm problems, formulating solutions, gathering information, making production decisions, evaluating outcomes, understanding financial institutions and loan requirements, and managing finances and risks.
• Unit 4: Livestock Production (Pig Farming)
• Students learn about pig breeds suitable for Tuvalu, pig nutrition, feed types, rearing practices, pre-farrowing and piglet management, hygiene practices, and common pig diseases and their control.

Year 2

• Unit 5: Tree Crop Production
• This unit covers the use of organic fertilizers, identifying suitable tree crops for Tuvalu's climate and soil, planting techniques, management practices, harvesting, and utilizing farm waste products. Tree crops studied include banana, pawpaw, breadfruit, pandanus (fala), and coconut.
• Unit 6: Farm Machinery
• Students learn about the proper usage and maintenance of farm tools and machinery, including small engines (2-stroke and 4-stroke cycles), safety measures, and welding principles and processes.
• Unit 7: Mariculture (Fish Farming)
• This unit covers fish biology, fishing methods, net making, deep-sea fishing, line fishing, fish handling and preservation, and post-harvest management.
• Unit 8: Livestock Production (Poultry Production)
• Students learn about broiler and layer chickens, designing and constructing chicken pens, feeding and nutrition, rearing practices, marketing and management, and pests and diseases.

Practical Component:

The course includes a significant practical component, with students engaging in hands-on activities such as maintaining vegetable gardens, constructing pulaka pits and dalo plots, raising pigs and poultry, planting tree crops, and participating in deep-sea fishing. A portion of the revenue generated from student projects is deposited into student savings accounts.

Assessment:

The program is entirely internally assessed, with continuous evaluation of practical work throughout the year. Assessment components include vegetable garden plots, pulaka pits, dalo plots, pig production, tree crop production, deep-sea fishing, farm machinery operation, and poultry production.