AMA Focuses on Buying from Rural and Maritime Farmers
The Agricultural Marketing Authority(AMA) will be now focusing on buying from farmers in the rural, remote and maritime regions of Fiji.
This comment was made by the Minister of Agriculture, Waterways and Environment, Mahendra Reddy, at the launch of the Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA) for maritime and rural market strategy held at Sautu Restaurant in Nausori yesterday.
Mr Reddy told guests that this will increase national income as well as assisting in employment creation and improvement of the livelihood of all Fijians.
“The Agricultural Marketing Authority is mandated to buy its produce from farmers in the rural, remote and maritime regions, he said. He further added that the increased container exports of the Agricultural Marketing Authority would benefit farmers living in the rural and maritime regions who would have a difficult time in selling their produce.
“This will assist farmers living in these regions and to ensure that a confirmed market is provided to them, the Agricultural Marketing Authority introduced the contract farming initiative in May.
“The contract farming model provides a guaranteed market for a guaranteed unit price to the contracted farmer for producing a target produce for the agriculture market authority.”
Produce
Mr Reddy highlighted that Agricultural Marketing Authority was working on some business opportunities which would allow it to add more target produce to its list in the future.
Currently, the agriculture market authority’s target produce are dalo, cassava and duruka.
“To provide soft loans to its farmers and making farmers members of the Fiji National Provident Fund (FNPF), the agricultural market authority is working with banks
such as Bank of the South Pacific and Fiji Development bank,” he said. At present, the Agricultural Marketing Authority has contracted farmers, in Tailevu Naitasiri, Kavanagasau, Nabitu, Serua and
Nadrivatu, in the remote villages in the heartlands of Viti Levu, Mr Reddy said.
“The Agriculture Marketing Authority is currently on the right track in fully serving its mandated role and is well on course to show sustainable and incremental growth in business”.