Declaring Taveuni as Organic Food Basket of Fiji: PM Rabuka
Declaring Taveuni an organic agricultural produce island will be vital in enhancing the local and export market for farmers and food business proprietors, says Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka.
During his recent two-week Northern Division tour, Mr Rabuka said the declaration could enhance agricultural income generation to the island.
To achieve this organic status, Mr Rabuka urged farmers to restrain the use of weedicides and chemical fertilisers.
This, he believed, would promote the Island as the “organic basket of food production in Fiji” and pave the way in marketing organic food produce internationally. The financial benefits of this promotion would be massive for the growth of people and business on the Garden Island of Fiji, he said.
“There is a separate market for organic food producing crops, vegetables and fruits which is of a very high demanding market in the world,” Mr Rabuka said. “Consumer preference to organic food produce depends on understanding its source and manner of growth technique used, during this environment awareness era.” As Minister for Climate Change and Environment, Mr Rabuka said to establish this status; it was up to the islanders on how best they could implement organic means of farming.
“The artificial additives are used by most farmers to ensure high yields, but, this was not ‘pure yield of the food produce,” he emphasised.
Yavusa Wainikeli of Taveuni has turned to organic farming. Chairman of the working committee of the Yavusa of Wainikeli, Julian Hennings said the Mua Land Buyback Scheme was initiated to ensure the sustainability and equity benefits for the Yavusa and people of Wainikeli.
Part of the new 1184 freehold land acquired usage objective included: establishing the sustainable land use manual. Mr Hennings said they planned to adopt the practice manual to ensure the Yavusa members have access to adequate organically grown food and cash crops.