10,000 new members for Fiji Crop and Livestock Council
The Fiji Crop and Livestock Council (FCLC) has registered 10,000 crop and livestock farmers as new members with the help of the Pacific Community (SPC).
Council chief executive, Jiu Daunivalu, said this means they now have access to these farmers through SMS (Short Message Service) using their mobile phones. “We will be able to now share information such as market prices, expert agricultural information, real-time data support, even the weather,” he said. The efforts have been funded by EU and implemented through SPC’s Pacific Agriculture Policy Progamme (PAPP). The significant membership increase was made possible through the engagement of five intern graduates who worked out of the FCLC offices over a three-month period in building the registration numbers. “As we continue to grow, the sharing of expertise is a major benefit to FCLC and we are grateful to SPC and EU for their continuing support,” Mr Daunivalu said. Commenting on the success of the PAPP initiative, Vili Caniogo, Advisor for SPC’s Agriculture Policy Programme endorsed the registration process and said that the use of mobile phones in addressing challenges to agriculture was now a normal global practice. Council chairman, Simon Cole, said this was another indication of the growing strength of the Council and its commitment to help 60,000 non-sugar sector farmers here.