Crisis to be solved Chaudhry: Need to fix FijiFirst mess
VEGETABLE and root crop farmers in Muaniweni and Nasi, Naitasiri want the same assistance that is provided to sugarcane growers.
And the issues they face could determine how they vote in the 2022 General Election.
Farmers claimed they have gone back to the old methods of farming simply because they could not afford weedicides and other chemicals needed to grow their crops.
The Fiji Times was in the area this week when they raised the issue of how the cost of weedicide and fertiliser has increased significantly over the past two years.
They also claimed the new weedicide that has replaced paraquat was harmful to their crops.
A vegetable farmer, Sur Sen, said he hoped the government that would come into power after the upcoming polls would provide them the same assistance given to canegrowers.
“One of the major problems we are facing is the cost of fertiliser and weedicide, it needs to be reviewed and made affordable,” the 62-year-old said.
“Some of the fertilisers we want are only made available to canefarmers and we also want paraquat to be brought back because it was
ANY government that comes into power will have to fix the mess of the FijiFirst government.
Fiji Labour Party leader Mahendra Chaudhry said a whole lot of work will have to be done to ensure this was carried out well and enormous efforts would be required to do this.
“The only thing we’ve seen here is roads being built, nothing about these rural roads upgrade,” Mr Chaudhry said.
“These people must go for the sake of the country.
“There is a picture of neglect and we can see negligence, there’s a lot of work that will have to be done to fix things right.”
The former prime minister said a lot of attention was needed as well in sectors such as agriculture, fisheries and forestry and the infrastructure sector.
He said people he met with noted the same concerns in his tour of the West and this meant changes was needed to ensure a leadership that would look at all sectors fairly.