Commercial feeds for animals have become too costly for many farmers across the country and is a huge challenge to the livestock sector.

To combat this, 36 farmers from across Fiji joined officers of the Ministry of Agriculture and Waterways for a weeklong workshop on Livestock Feed Making which was held at the Sigatoka Research Station in Nacocolevu.

In closing the workshop last week Friday, Minister for Agriculture and Waterways, Honourable Vatimi Rayalu said that animal feed using local ingredients, was one of the community requests that reflected from the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) funded Landcare projects baseline study results.

“This was also gathered from a farmer consultation workshop focusing on problem identification and need analyses sessions on the project area including Sigatoka, Labasa and Taveuni,” said Hon. Rayalu.

“Since feed costs in livestock production is about 60-70 percent of the total production cost, this critically affected their probability and thus progress in livelihood endeavours and thus farmers wish to trial out alternative feed sources to reduce feed costs and improve profitability,” he added.

The training recognises one of the Land Care Project goals to extend its activities to other Pacific Island countries and further boost the relations between the Fiji Land Care project partners with the Papua New Guinea University of Technology through South Pacific Institute for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development (SPISARD).

Hon. Rayalu also emphasised, that with the ministry priorities focus on food security, increasing household income generation and sustainable agriculture, more trainings will be conducted to enhance smallholder farmers knowledge and skills.

“This training does not end here but you will be involved as farmers and officers to be part of a participatory action research to collect data in the evaluation of the use of local ingredients against the commercial feeds.”

Ms Ovanalagi Susuwai, a poultry farmer in Namatakula, Nadroga says that the training is an eye opener for her and fellow participants.

“We have so much available resources around us that we can use as livestock feed. I am so grateful for this learning experience and will surely practice what I have learnt during the week,” said Ms Susuwai.

The ministry acknowledges the Land Care Project partners- Fiji National University for facilitating the engagement of the experts from Papua New Guinea, as well as Teitei Taveuni, under the ACIAR Land Care Project and looks forward to strengthened partnerships in future facilitation and empowerment of farmers.

ENDS

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