Farmers Urged To Form Clusters
Minister for Agriculture Inia Seruiratu has highlighted the importance of working collaboratively as a cluster of farmers. During his tour of the Central Division last week farmers were reminded of the importance of partnering with Government as well as forming farming clusters to further develop each farm.
“Farming like any other development is a partnership; therefore, we need to work together in partnership. The Government can bring the ability to the farms and the technology and all that is needed to further the sector, but if it is being given to the wrong people who have the wrong attitude, nothing is going to move so we need to work together in partnership,” he said.
Mr Seruiratu further elaborated that Government would continue its various help programmes to farmers.
“We will continue to aid individuals, particularly those who are at the commercial and semicommercial levels, but those at the lower end, we prefer to bring them together in groups and not individually because we can give machinery and technical assistance to the group which will surely be felt by the individual farmer,” he said.
“Of course we need to share knowledge and experience as well among ourselves and this is why we need to build up and strengthen farming clusters.”
Mr Seruiratu also met with members of the Vulagi Farmers’ cluster of Vulagi Estate in Tailevu and Nacokaika South, Central and North Side cluster and Hookers Subdivision cluster in Naitasiri and encouraged them to continue their partnership.