The contribution of Ministry of Agriculture staff in developing the sector amidst the pandemic has been commended by the Minister for Agriculture Hon. Dr. Mahendra Reddy. 

Hon. Reddy took time out earlier this week to commend and thank all staff of the Ministry who had, in one way or another, ensured service delivery was maintained at optimal levels and contributed towards the growth of the sector during these trying times.

Additionally, the Ministry of Agriculture has also dedicated the month of December to its staff, in recognition of their contributions.  

Minister Reddy and the executive management of the Ministry awarded each staff with a certificate of appreciation for their continuous efforts in serving the farming communities, despite COVID restrictions and the risk of contracting the virus itself.

“We were one of the Ministry’s that was not closed, our staff operated from home, from the borders and from the regional offices to ensure work is done. There were no excuses for not delivering services on time because the expectations placed on our Ministry from our farmers and affected Fijians was more, as we were one of the Ministry's at the forefront during the pandemic,” said Minister Reddy.

“I believe in pushing things on the ground, it’s what we deliver on the ground that matters. The rest is input such as how much time we spend in meetings, writing papers and at the end of the day what matters is output and in the medium to long term, what matters is the outcome. Outputs are the individual Ministry’s deliverables. The people on the ground look up to us to provide guidance,” said Minister Reddy.

“Rain or shine you managed to complete the work leaving your families behind and waking up early in the morning to reach the borders to serve the people. 

“Moreover, our staff went out of their way to help farmers to transport their produce to the borders, sell it and take the money back to their families.  

“I want to join the Acting Permanent Secretary for Agriculture to thank you all, all staff around Fiji. As our unsung heroes, we're here to celebrate, recognize and acknowledge all your efforts,” he said.

These officers, some of whom were locked out of their usual stations, were part of the frontline workers together with their counterparts from various Government Ministries and Departments to undertake COVID-19 operations like contact tracing, and food/ration distribution, awareness drives and screenings.

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