Agriculture leading charge: from AMA to backyard gardening, huge leaps noted
After going through a quiet phase, the Agricultural Marketing Authority is really back with a bang.
The recent contractual farming initiative is receiving very positive feedback and there is a growing interest amongst farmers to sign up.
Hundreds have already signed up and more are lining to sign up every single day.
The contractual farming initiative provides farmers a formal commitment for the purchase of their produce and eliminates the worry they previously had regarding the sale of their produce As the Agriculture Minister Mahendra Reddy rightly pointed out, we need to grow the agriculture sector, we can’t always invest in the same 100 farmers and in order to grow the sector, we need to encourage more participation from farmers, increasing genuine farmer numbers by the thousands and more.
Organic Bacterium Launched
Apart from the good work that the Agriculture Ministry is doing with AMA, they have also made inroads into the organic market. The introduction of organic agriculture into Fiji’s production system is the best option to ensure the sustainability of our natural resources.
Organic agriculture as defined by Organics International is a production system that sustains the health of soils, ecosystems, and people.
It relies on ecological processes, biodiversity and cycles adapted to local conditions, rather than the use of inputs with adverse effects. Mr Reddy during its launch had said organic fertilisers were a kinder, gentler way to give plants the nutrients they need and its benefits include;
1. The release of nutrients at a more slower pace in the soil when needed by the plant, making them long lasting; 2. The nutrients are contained
in complex molecules that won’t leach away with the first rain;
3. They are less likely to burn the young roots of seedlings, and;
4. They enhance soil health by nurturing (or at least not harming) the soil microbes that help make soil nutrients available to plants.
Backyard farming:
The Agriculture Ministry has distributed over 36,000 home gardening packages containing seeds of 6 to 12 different crops, ensuring access to food of acceptable quality and nutritional value.
This has been a huge leap forward in ensuring food security and also in reducing prices of vegetables in the markets, making fresh vegetables affordable to the Fijian public.