Milestones & achievements
Histri blong ol win
Sixty-four years, five names, one station — the story of VARTC in eras, from the IRHO coconut station of 1962 to the national Centre of today.
The coconut station
Founded by the French Institut de Recherches pour les Huiles et Oléagineux in the New Hebrides Condominium as the Saraoutou coconut research station.
- 1962Coconut research station founded at Sarautu (Saraoutou), Santo, under IRHO: coconut breeding, agronomy and livestock grazing under coconut[1]
- 1963Vanuatu Tall population VTT1 collected at Surunda estate — the start of mass selection[2]
- 1967Charolais absorption-crossbreeding programme started (R. Manciot)[3]
- 1960s–70sExotic palms in the gene bank succumb to a new wilt while Vanuatu Tall stays healthy: the discovery of Coconut Foliar Decay Virus[4]
- Early 1970sHybridisation of distinct coconut cultivars launched[2]
- 1980Independence: the New Hebrides become the Republic of Vanuatu[1]
Cocoa and coffee arrive
A second French institute, IRCC, opens a coffee and cocoa research unit at Valeteruru.
One station, one research family
IRHO and IRCC merge into CIRAD. VARTC's own history gives 1984.
A national centre is born
The station becomes the Vanuatu Agricultural Research and Training Centre (Centre Agronomique de Recherche et de Formation du Vanuatu), a national body under a CIRAD management mandate.
- 1994Becomes the Vanuatu Agricultural Research and Training Centre (VARTC / CARFV)[1]
- 1998Taro, yam, sweet potato, cassava and kava added to the mandate; Dr Vincent Lebot heads root-crops improvement[1]
- 1998–2000Second national coconut survey: 14 sites on 10 islands, 12 populations and 18 special variants added to the gene bank[4]
- 1999VARTC hosts a regional coconut genetic resources course[4]
- 2002VARTC Act (Act 15 of 2002, CAP 286) passed[6]
The statutory Centre
On 1 January 2003 the CIRAD mandate ends and the Vanuatu Agricultural Research and Technical Centre (Centre Technique de Recherche Agronomique du Vanuatu) is established by law, led by a CEO with a Board and Scientific Advisory Council.
- 2003VARTC established under CAP 286; local coconut collection of 20 Vanuatu Tall populations plus Vanuatu Red Dwarf, with 60 living accessions in the international database[4]
- 2005Roger Malapa returns from Rennes as the first ni-Vanuatu PhD in science[7]
- 2008VARTC (Amendment) Act No. 9 of 2008 revises the Board[8]
- 2014Director Dr Roger Malapa brings in a yam breeder to develop anthracnose-resistant yams[9]
- 2016–18ACIAR pasture, legume and grazing trials at VARTC[10]
- 2017Hybrid yams 'Dr Roger', 'White Waelu' and 'Jerome' launched[11]
- 2020After TC Harold, lost yam and taro varieties are recollected for the gene bank[12]
A national jewel, renewed
A first Strategic Plan, a national seed-bank network and a new generation of ni-Vanuatu scientists.
- Jul 2023First VARTC Strategic Plan 2023–2027 launched; VTT × Rennell coconut, 11 taro Fiji varieties, island taro Vuxtamasao and improved cattle released[13]
- Aug 2023SPC seed-champions training at VARTC[14]
- Jun 2024Consultations on reviewing the VARTC Act and a National Productive Sector Research Council[15]
- Apr 2025First formal handover of a VARTC Annual Report to the Minister[16]
- Jul 2025VARTC Open Day: "Research is everybody's business"[17]
- 2024–29CFF programme: 18 Provincial Seed Bank Officers, a National Seed Bank Manager and a Seed Processing Facility[18]
- Aug 2026Deputy Prime Minister and Trade Minister visit VARTC, calling for research–production–trade links[19]
Research achievements
What Saraoutou gave the world
Discovery of CFDV
Saraoutou's gene bank revealed Coconut Foliar Decay Virus and its vector — and that the local Vanuatu Tall tolerates it.[4]
A better coconut
Selected Vanuatu Tall and the VTT × Rennell Tall hybrid lift copra yield from 1.3 to 2.2 and 2.7 t/ha.[20]
The Pacific's richest coconut collection
By around 1985: 11 Tall and 13 Dwarf varieties at Saraoutou.[5]
Cattle under coconut
Charolais crosses raised the productivity of coconut groves by about 15%.[3]
Yams named after heroes
'Dr Roger', 'White Waelu' and 'Jerome' — hybrids honouring a scientist and two farmers.[11]
A national seed system
18 provincial seed-bank officers linked to a National Seed Bank at VARTC.[18]