Pilot paddy project
SUGARCANE farmer Khalid Shah recently harvested 250kg of rice, thanks to the Lautoka Cane Producers Association.
He planted rice on 0.7 acre of sugarcane farmland and is encouraging other farmers to grow the widely consumed staple crop. Mr Shah said paddy should be revived in the country.
“If farmers grow paddy in at least one acre of land, they can grow the crop thrice in a season, with each harvest fetching them approximately $800,” he said.
Lautoka Cane Producers Association internal control system officer Naveen Prasad said the pilot paddy project enabled 30 farmers in the sugarcane districts of Sigatoka, Nadi and Lautoka to grow rice since the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
“The pandemic has motivated farmers to allocate specific space for other crops apart from sugarcane, which has provided supplementary income to the farmers.”
Mr Prasad acknowledged the efforts of the Foundation for Rural Integrated Enterprises and Development (FRIEND) and the Ministry of Agriculture, for providing assistance during the project.
Minister for Agriculture Dr Mahendra Reddy has over the months encouraged sugarcane growers to allocate at least an acre of land towards growing paddy to boost rice production in the country.
If farmers grow paddy in at least one acre of land, they can grow the crop thrice in a season, with each harvest fetching them approximately $800.
– Khalid Shah