AGRICULTURE
Assistant minister hopes to meet many farmers during 1st visit
The Assistant Minister for Agriculture Viam Pillay aims to meet as many farmers as possible as he started his one week northern tour yesterday. Mr Pillay said this was his first time touring the North as the Assistant Minister.
“At Tabia outside Labasa Town, I had a session with rice farmers who had been facing rice harvesting problems,” Mr Pillay said.
“They requested a rice harvester and immediately I resolved this issue.
“I am looking forward to having more with other farmers in the Northern Division.
“If I miss out any places during this tour, I will surely return after a few weeks to meet those farmers. I want to hear their side of the stories because I believe without farmers the ministry cannot survive on its own.” “During this tour I have been also meeting our staff and I am very happy with the work they have been doing so far,” he said.
“They have been assisting farmers in their projects and one such successful farmer is the Wellbeing Farm Fiji Limited managing director, Sueng Bae Lee, the biggest sheep farmer in Vanua Levu.
“There are also other successful farmers and I am really impressed.”
Mr Lee thanked Mr Pillay for his visit to the farm at Long Bay in Labasa.
Mr Lee is the winner of the 2013 Prime Minister’s Sheep Farmer of the Year Award.
His farm had been chosen by the International Trade Centre, Ministry of Agriculture as a motivator farm. “I have borrowed about seven to eight hybrid sheep from sessions the Ministry of Agriculture to assist me with my future farming plan and it is working successfully,” Mr Lee said.
“I have five farms altogether in Labasa with a total of 600 sheep,” Mr Lee said.
He has been farming since 2012.
Meanwhile, Mr Pillay said he would return to Dreketi after visiting Savusavu and other parts to have a session with the farmers at the Dreketi Irrigation Station on Friday.