From Left Ministry of Agriculture  Head of Operation Mr.Vinesh Kumar, Minister for Agriculture Hon. Mahendra Reddy and Permanent Secretary  for Agriculture Mr. Ritesh Dass

The role of exporters in the agriculture sector is an integral one as the need to provide markets to farmers and agro-producers is critical.

This was relayed by Minister for Agriculture Hon. Dr. Mahendra Reddy when meeting exporters at Legalega Research Station in Nadi, today.

“As exporters, you are a market and I urge you to provide markets to our farmers, there should be market signals to them that their produce will be purchased.

Hon. Reddy added that the issue of contracting farmers was to secure their markets, while also prompting them to focus on treating their farms as businesses. 

He shared the need for more value-addition to Fijian primary commodities that could target niche export markets; "We're here to grow the agriculture sector together and to pick up the excess that the farmers have and to market it out because we're targeting on making the agriculture sector become the leading sector of the economy." 

Hon. Reddy also elaborated the role of the Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA), stating that the institution not be viewed as a competitor for exporters, but rather, as potential suppliers to exporters if needed. 

“The AMA is not here to compete with exporters, we are here to grow the sector and to make agriculture the backbone of the economy but we need to grow together and bring foreign exchange to the country,” said Hon. Reddy.

He has also urged exporters to assist their farmers and suppliers become members of the Fiji National Provident Fund (FNPF) to help secure their livelihoods.

He highlighted that through the Contractual Farming program under the AMA, farmers would now be socially secure; “When Tropical Cyclone Winston hit, all who were affected could access their FNPF to help them rebuild. Farmers could not go then because they were not members of the FNPF, but through the contracted commercial farmers agreement, they are now eligible for FNPF deductions.”

Exporters met with senior management of the Ministry of Agriculture to express their concerns and views and to highlight the issues they faced, especially in light of COVID-19.

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