Fiji Agro Marketing executive team visits the Northern Division

The Fiji Agro Marketing’s executive management team made a tour of the Northern Division last week.

The team included the chief executive officer Alvin Sharma, national operations manager and operations manager, and they met with existing suppliers, visited the existing AMA facilities, and caught up with farmers in the relevant zones.

The visit began with a trip to Qaranivai Village - located at the North-Eastern tip of Vanua Levu, very close to Udu Point.

This village is located very remotely with fishing being the primary source of livelihood. Fiji Agro Marketing has been buying fish from Qaranivai villagers for nearly two years now.

Talanoa session

During the Talanoa session, certain nearby villages also expressed their interest to supply fish to the Fiji Agro Marketing.

These fishers will soon become contracted aqua farmers of Fiji

Agro Marketing.

Areas visited

The team then visited the AMA Wainikoro Station, which is located in the Nadogo region and met with fellow staff, existing suppliers, and other farmers in the area. They were heartened to see the positive response received from farmers to grow produce as contracted farmers for the Fiji Agro Marketing.

FNPF

Farmers are also willing to join the Fiji National Provident Fund in this region.

On Day 2, the Fiji Agro Marketing team visited the Ministry of Agriculture Station in Seaqaqa and met with farmers, some of whom will be coming on board as contracted farmers shortly.

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Contract farming

They then met some farmers in the Dreketi area and spoke to them about the benefits of contract farming.

The team then proceeded to Navave Village in Bua, which is past Nabouwalu to meet with village elders and fellow villagers.

Members of Navave Village are allocating 20 acres of land to become contracted farmers with the Fiji Agro Marketing.

The CEO and the team were then accorded a formal Fijian welcome ceremony at the AMA Collection Centre in Dama Bua.

Contract farming benefits

The benefits of contract farming was explained to the farmers of this area.

Day 3 began with a boat trip to Taveuni.

The Fiji Agro Marketing team caught up with farmers at the office of the District Officer in Waiyevo.

‘Land Use Survey’

Twenty farmers have indicated their willingness to sign up as contracted farmers of the Fiji Agro Marketing.

The Ministry of Agriculture will now conduct a ‘Land Use Survey’ at their respective farms.

The team then met with some farmers in Vuna, where they again explained the benefits of contract farming and made an offer to the farmers to supply produce to Fiji Agro Marketing.

On Day 4, the team made a return boat trip to Savusavu.

Fiji Agro Marketing team

The Fiji Agro Marketing team was accorded with a traditional Fijian welcoming ceremony at the AMA Collection Centre in Savusavu.

The executive management team then had a Talanoa session with the staff and most issues that were raised have now been resolved.

“We have had an excellent visit to the far reaches and other areas in the Northern Division.

“The support received from the farmers in the Northern Division was outstanding, and we will soon see more contract farmers signing up in the Northern Division,” Mr Sharma said.

“We will also work with the FNPF team to get the qualifying farmers to become members of the FNPF. “It was also heartening to see the spirit and hardworking nature of the fellow Fiji Agromarketing staff in the Northern Division.

“We will definitely be back in the Northern Division in the near future to complete the contract farming signup process,” said Mr Sharma.