‘Start buying locally’

Minister challenges tourism sector to relook purchasing model

AGRICULTURE Minister Dr Mahendra Reddy has challenged the Fijian tourism sector to start buying locally and get serious about contributing to the local economy.

He laid the challenge in Drasa, on the outskirts of Lautoka, where he recently commissioned the Drasa Johnson Vegetable Farmers’ Cooperative Model Farm.

“It is now time that they get serious about contributing to the local economy, to the agriculture sector by relooking at their purchasing model and by relooking at their entire business model,” Dr Reddy said.

“For so long, purchasing officers in resorts find it very easy to basically press a button and get fresh produce imported from New Zealand and Australia, but it’s time that they relook at how they could contribute towards providing a market to our produce in the country.

“There’s no reason why we can’t make smoothies from the local fruits that we have, there are seasonal fruits they can tweak a little bit with the ingredients they use in smoothies and turn all the smoothies made from locally available fruits.”

Dr Reddy said Fijian farmers would no longer have to worry about their market because there would be new opportunities when the tourism sector resumed business.

“We are now in a situation where we don’t want to divert production produce which is going to export, to fulfil demand in the local sector.

“Similar points for vegetables.

Every country should showcase what they have, even though the tourist might want to come and eat what they eat there (in their own countries), they want a new experience, not only in terms of environment but also in terms of food.

“They would want to experience local cuisine so it is important that the hotel industry thinks hard and makes some hard decisions in terms of minimising imports of vegetables and produce, and sourcing it locally.”