45 new Orchard farmers in the Western, Central and Northern Division who had successfully met the selection criteria for assistance under the Ministry of Agriculture’s 2021-2022 Fruit Tree program yesterday received their offer letters.

This sets the model for the establishment of 45 fruit tree orchards, initially on Viti Levu, and is aligned to the Ministry’s 5-year Strategic Development Plan, which as part of its 16 initiative Food Security, Agriculture Growth and Expansion Plan to scale up programs included the Establishment of Orchards to enhance Commercial Agriculture.

While officiating at the event in Lawaqa, Sigatoka, Minister for Agriculture, Waterways and Environment Hon. Dr. Mahendra Reddy said Fiji’s import bill needed to be cut, in particular the continued importation of fresh fruits which could otherwise be grown locally, with the exception of a few exotic fruit varieties.

“Over the years the Ministry has always implemented this initiative under the Fruit Trees Program and this has been scaled up in response to Climate Change and COVID 19 to include Establishment of Orchards for farmers who have at least one acre or more of farmland.

“In 2017 through a study of Fresh Produce Demand by IFC (World Bank), Hotels and Resorts in Fiji’s main tourism areas spend more than FJ$74m on procurement of fresh produce including fruits. Of this amount, 52% or more than FJ$38.5m was spent on imported items. Fiji has the potential to cut more than FJ$24m of its import bill by focusing its resources on growing or producing specific high potential fresh produce items locally,” he said.

Fiji imports annually a wide range of fresh fruits that include grapes, oranges, apples, pears and kiwi fruit with a total value of $17 million and $3.8 million being processed fruits. These imported fruits have substituted locally grown tropical fruits such as guava, mango, avocado, oranges, mandarins and other indigenous fruits in our hotels and supermarkets.

The Orchard Development program will enhance public-private partnership towards the holistic development of a sustainable local fruit industry and curb our import bill.

The objective of this program is to;

·Promote mass production of local fruits through the establishment of Orchards thus increasing consumption;

·Provide equal Nutrition opportunities for every Fijian which can curb NCDs;

·Ensure consistent availability of local fruits;

·Commercialize fruit production in Fiji;

·Reduce import bill and increase export earnings; and

·Create job opportunities especially Youths.

Through this assistance, the Ministry will provide budgetary and technical support to successful recipients that will include land preparation, supply of agro-inputs, planting materials and as well as providing regular advisory services. 

“To our farmers, please note that you are one of the pioneers of this initiative and the Ministry is committed under its SDP Strategic Priority 4 of Commercialising Fiji’s Agriculture Sector, to render to you all the support you need to ensure that your Orchard farming program is a success and will be able to achieve all objectives I have alluded to earlier,” said Minister Reddy.

The fruit tree orchards that will be set up by the Ministry at these 45 successful sites are Banana, Orange, Avocado, Breadfruit, Jackfruit, Drinking Coconut, Mangosteen, and Rambutan.

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