Reddy stresses need for agri-productivity
Acting Prime Minister and Minister for Agriculture Mahendra Reddy is in Vanua Levu for his last Northern tour this year.
Yesterday, Mr Reddy visited farmers in Vatubogi and Vunivau in Bua.
It was his third visit to the Bua farmers and he highlighted that all the issues that were raised to him by the farmers during his previous visits had been addressed. However, this time around, Mr Reddy had strongly emphasised the importance of contributing to the growth of the agricultural sector.
He encouraged farmers to plant as much as they can and they need not worry about the market.
“We will provide the market, we will buy all your dalo, yaqona, cassava, rice,” he said.
Productivity constraints
He added that the ministry would also assist farmers who wished to expand their farms and would require a loan from the Fiji Development Bank.
Mr Reddy said one of the main problems the farmers were facing was shortage of labour.
He said in most places especially in small communities and villages, people had moved into the urban areas in search of job opportunities and greener pastures. However to address the issue, the Ministry is introducing the use of machines or mechanisation.
Now they are also outsourcing services on tractors from the private sector and farmers do not have to wait for government tractors. They will still pay the same amount of $28 an hour and the Ministry would settle the rest.
Future Plans:
The Ministry will be introducing more harvesters next year. Mr Reddy said his Ministry was also working on getting more high yielding varieties of rice and better breeds of livestock to increase productivity in the sector.
Farm Roads
Mr Reddy assured the farmers that all farm roads would be fixed, but it was something that would not be done overnight, it might take another one and a half years. He added that the Government was trying its best to assist all the farmers.
Those that had been assisted were advised to give space to the farmers that had never received any help or grant from the Government to be assisted as well.
Acting Principal Agriculture Officer North Rohit Lal encouraged farmers to be more productive. He said the Government had been providing assistance to these farmers and so they expect the productivity level to increase.
“We will be in doubt if we are giving you assistance and then we see that you are still producing the same four tonnes of rice you have been producing in the last 10 years. Why should there be assistance if there was no growth.” Advisory councilor for Vunivau farmers Ramesh Lal said they were grateful and were satisfied with the responses given by the Minister after they had raised their issues to him.