Tonga has formally launched a new rural development initiative backed by international financing, aimed at strengthening livelihoods, inclusivity and climate resilience across the country’s outer and main islands.
The project, known as the Tonga Rural Innovation Project Phase 3 (TRIP III), was officiated at the headquarters of the International Fund for Agricultural Development, where chief executive Kilisitina Tuaimei’api represented Finance Minister Lataifaingata’a Tangimana. IFAD’s Asia–Pacific regional director, Reehana Raza, attended on behalf of the agency’s president.
TRIP III will expand support from 122 to 128 rural communities, reaching more than 35,000 households across Tongatapu and the remote Niuas. The programme builds on the previous phase, completed in June 2025, which benefited more than 8,000 households through community gardens, sustainable land management and local economic initiatives.
Total financing for the new phase is valued at 19.3 million US dollars, delivered through IFAD grants and co-financing. Implementation is expected to begin this year, led by MORDI Tonga in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry and other government agencies.
Speaking at the signing, Kilisitina thanked IFAD for its continued partnership, saying the programme’s benefits would support rural communities for generations. Raza highlighted Tonga’s long-standing cooperation with IFAD, including government commitments to IFAD’s 13th replenishment and co-financing support from Australia.
Officials say TRIP III is intended to deepen innovation and climate-resilient development in vulnerable rural areas, with further implementation details expected ahead of its 2026 rollout.
