The Ministry of Agriculture’s ongoing Fruit Tree Orchard Development Programme has been further scaled up this new financial year 2022-2023.

Announcing the revised programme today (04.08.22), Minister for Agriculture, Waterways and Environment Hon. Dr. Mahendra Reddy said.

“With a budget of $150,000, this program will help 75 farmers to establish Fruit Orchards, worth $2,000 for each eligible farm. High-value fruits like guava, dragon fruit, mango, avocado, and bananas will be given priority,” he said.

“Coconut, breadfruit and citrus (oranges, lime, and lemon) are also targeted under this program and the Ministry will provide seedlings, biofertilizers and technical assistance in the establishment of these orchards.

“We will also work with our bilateral partners and our exporters in standardizing and aligning the produce from these orchards to the export plan,” said Minister Reddy.

Over the years the Ministry has always implemented this initiative under the Fruit Trees Program and this year the program has been scaled up to respond to Climate Change and COVID 19. Climate Change, on the other hand, will continue to affect our environmental conditions limiting the availability of fruit supply.

Access to good quality fruits continues to be a problem in Fiji. With the lack of commercialization in this sector, high demand for consumption, rise in importation of fruits and lack of processing capacities for oversupply in peak seasons in Fiji, push for more value addition processes to be explored.

However, the Ministry of Agriculture is providing support to farmers who wish to intensify the development of Fiji’s fruit industry into orchards development focusing on important, high-value fruits.

The following criteria must be met in order to be eligible for the programme;

·         Farmers having land to establish an orchard of the required size of 3 acres.

·         Ability to scale up operation to a commercial level.

·         Farmer needs to have long-term lease and should be able to plant:

- Guava

- Dragon Fruit

- Mango

- Breadfruit

- Avocado

- Banana

- Coconut

- Citrus

·         Priority will be given to first-time applicants who are willing to venture into Orchard farming

·         Successful applicant will have to provide labour to establish infrastructure support within 3 months of material delivery

·         Applicants practising on Communal Land should provide written consent from Yavusa/Mataqali/Tokatoka witnessed by Commissioner of Oaths, JP, DO/Roko.

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