The eight farming sectors of Lomaivuna in the province of Naitasiri have received praise for their foresight in recognizing and promoting the impact that agriculture has on their livelihoods.

A mini-agriculture show was organized by the Lomaivuna Development Council (LDC) and supported by the Ministry of Agriculture on Friday, August 26, 2022 at the Nawere Methodist Church compound in Lomaivuna as part of the LDC's plans for greater exposure of local farming commodities and as a showcase of agricultural production.

While delivering his opening statement at the mini-agriculture show, Minister for Agriculture, Hon. Dr. Mahendra Reddy, said the agriculture model in Naitasiri is an exemplary model for the other provinces in Fiji.

"I want to thank the people of Naitasiri for their contribution towards the growth and development of the country, particularly here in Lomaivuna as we celebrate your success in the agriculture sector."

"As we looked around as we were approaching, we saw examples of sustainable agriculture practices, agricultural undertakings in areas where some may think that you can't do agriculture, but because you've undertaken sustainable agriculture practices, these areas which initially was seen as not arable for agriculture are now indeed arable for agriculture, so thank you for developing a sustainable agriculture model that can be emulated by the other provinces of Fiji," said Minister Reddy.

The support and technical guidance provided by the Ministry of Agriculture for all farmers in the Lomaivuna area was also reaffirmed by Hon. Reddy. He emphasized the importance of making sure that the public infrastructure is accessible to all farmers and agribusinesses in order to ensure their continued growth.

"I also want to congratulate the eight sectors in Lomaivuna and the 272 households for leading in some of the crop areas, especially in ginger, dalo, and other areas as well. They may not be industry leaders, but they are significant players in the sector, and it is noteworthy to mention that 90% of the ginger that is produced in Fiji comes from this province, and 40% of the dalo produced in the country comes from this province," he said.

According to Minister Reddy, the farmers of Lomaivuna and Naitasiri as a whole were model farmers and possessed immense knowledge that could be shared with farmers across the nation to help them learn best agricultural practices to implement on their farms.

"Today’s event is a leap towards expanding your agriculture business and meeting potential clients. People will converge here today for this mini-food agriculture show, and I urge you farmers to seize this opportunity to promote yourself, your exchanges, meet other experts, and get advice from the Ministry officials on new technology and explore new opportunities," said Minister Reddy.

During the mini-agriculture show, nine farmers received awards for their agricultural endeavours. Prizes were given out for the best farmers of ginger, dalo, assorted vegetables, cassava, vanilla, yam, fruit trees, women, and poultry, respectively.

Following the success of the one-day event held this week, the Lomaivuna Mini-Agriculture Show is expected to become an annual event.

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