HA’ARI CONTEST
A look back at the Award Ceremony of the first edition of the Ha’ari Contest 2023 in French Polynesia
The ambitious project launched by the Chamber of Agriculture and Lagoon Fishing (CAPL) in partnership with the Pacific Community (CPS) under the PROTEGE project funded by the European Union aimed to identify all the different species of coconut trees found in French Polynesia through a competition.
This competition, named Ha’ari Contest, aimed to promote productive varieties of coconuts while revitalizing the existing coconut agricultural sector. In French Polynesia, coconut plantations cover 29,015 hectares and involve nearly 2,000 farmers.
To participate, the only requirement was to present three coconuts from the same plant. The competition featured three categories: the coconut with the highest kernel yield, the one with the longest fiber, and the most original variety.
During the Floralies event, which has just concluded in French Polynesia, the winners of the competition were rewarded.
The contest gathered more than fifteen participants from all five archipelagos of French Polynesia. As a result, around twenty new varieties of coconut trees were identified.
This ceremony was beneficial for the coconut sector and encouraged local communities (ta’ata ma’ohi) to rediscover and invest in this industry that is unfortunately gradually disappearing.
Congratulations to all participants, and long live the coconut tree!
You can also watch the video by CAPL about this wonderful event:
