The non-sugarcane agriculture sector became a billion dollar industry in nominal GDP in 2018, a recent agriculture report revealed.

The ‘2020 Key Statistics on Fiji Agriculture Sector’ Report was prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture’s Fiji Agriculture and Rural Statistics Unit using official statistics from the Fiji Bureau of Statistics.

The report showed that the non-sugarcane agriculture sector in 2018 amounted to $1.076b in nominal GDP and continued to maintain the billion dollar mark a year after that.

In 2019, non-sugar agriculture sector made it to $1.218b in nominal GDP.

In addition, the Report stated that Fiji recorded a milestone in 2020 by achieving the highest value of $106.7m from the domestic export of fresh/chilled produce (crop and livestock).

Minister for Agriculture, Waterways and Environment, Hon. Dr. Mahendra Reddy said the 2020 figures of the domestic exports of fresh and chilled produce of crop and livestock was analysed over an eight-year period since 2013 and even took into account the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I cannot over emphasize just how important this fact is – it is a major achievement that in a period of eight years, the agriculture sector surpassed the $100m mark. Eight years!

“I must thank all farmers, exporters, and all those who made this remarkable feat achievable. Vinaka Vakalevu for making the non-sugar agriculture sector great again,” the Minister said.

The Report said in terms of Agriculture Trade (inclusive of crop, livestock, fisheries, forestry, sugar, mineral water, beverages etc) in 2020, Fiji’s earnings from agricultural exports, which accounted for 60.1per cent ($686.7m) of the national domestic exports, decreased by 7.8per cent.

However, for export of crop and livestock only (in all forms, value added and fresh/chilled), which accounted for 22per cent of the national domestic export earnings, increased by 7.1per cent.

Further, the Report stated a positive growth was also recorded for both value and volume of only fresh/chilled produce domestic export by 25.8per cent and 16.3per cent respectively in 2020 compared to 2019.

The domestic export of fresh/chilled produce accounted for 9.3per cent of the national domestic export earnings.

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