Farmer blocks Gov’t biosecurity team investigating watermelon beetles

January 8, 2026 10:22 pm | Posted in Business News | Share now TwitterFacebook

By Doddy Morris.

A veteran watermelon farmer has refused entry to a Government biosecurity team sent to investigate beetles found inside watermelons on his farm, the Director General (DG) of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Forestry and Biosecurity (MALFB), Timothy Tumukon, has confirmed.

The team was dispatched to Mr. John Morrison Bong’s farm at Crystal Blue on Efate after he raised the alarm about beetles damaging his harvested watermelons. However, officers were denied access, preventing them from identifying the exact type of insect and assessing any potential threat to other farms.

“After the Vanuatu Daily Post published the news, we sent a team to the watermelon farm. However, the farmer did not allow them to enter his property to conduct a survey,” DG Tumukon said.

He questioned how authorities could assist if access was denied after a public complaint had been made.

“If someone comes forward to complain and later the Government steps in to assist, but they then prevent officers from carrying out their work, how do they expect us to help them? This kind of behaviour is not acceptable,” he said.

Mr. Tumukon emphasised that cooperation is essential when potential biosecurity risks are involved.

“When farmers go to the public seeking sympathy and support, they must also be willing to cooperate. When the Government comes to assist and the farmer shuts the door, the Government can also shut its doors,” he said.

The DG acknowledged Mr. Bong’s decades of farming experience but said experience alone could not replace proper assessment by Ministry officers.

“He has been farming watermelons for 45 years and has knowledge, but this does not replace the need for proper assessment by biosecurity and agriculture officers,” Mr. Tumukon said.

Mr. Bong, originally from Ambrym, told the Daily Post that he had discovered beetles inside watermelons harvested in late December and was concerned the infestation could spread to other farms. While he had spoken publicly about the issue, he had not yet formally reported it to the Ministry at the time.

DG Tumukon stressed that identifying the insect is necessary to determine whether it poses a wider biosecurity threat and to prevent any potential spread to other farming areas.