Agriculture Experts Weigh in Why Sector Needs a Boost After Tourism Collapses
As the tourism industry has now collapsed, there is a need to be able to generate foreign exchange, and agriculture can provide some of those opportunities for Fiji.
This was one of the points shared by the renowned Agricultural Economist Andrew McGregor while speaking at the second episode of ‘Reset: Fiji- A People’s Post COVID-19 dialogue series’ that aired on
MaiTV last night at 8pm.
Mr McGregor said that previously air freight was just a subsidiary of tourism, and that needs to be relooked now.
He said that the national airline needs to increase freight capacity to be able to support all the other local developing industries.
“The national airline, essentially built up to ramp up access to a country for tourists, but since the collapse of the tourism industry, we have to relook that,” he said.
Mr McGregor said that there has been a growth of many industries with potential for expansion due to the pandemic.
“The main area where we do have real opportunities for growth is indoor areas; horticultural type products. A whole range of others and some of them directly or indirectly involved, things like ginger, turmeric, basil, and of course, kava.”
The other four panelists at the episode were Ratu Livai Tora, Lavinia Kaumaitotoya, Kyle Stice and Wah Sing Yee.
Ratu Livai Tora
Chair of Nature’s Way Cooperative Commercial Farmer and farmer leader Ratu Livai Tora said that the agriculture sector is in need of a super budget of $1 billion.
A super budget will ensure there are plenty of resources available for the sector which are now lacking and provide solutions for all the pending issues.