FIJI has a real case of senior people manning production in rural farms while youths have flocked to towns and cities, says Minister for Agriculture, Rural and Maritime Development and National Disaster Management Inia Seruiratu.

While addressing agricultural students at the Nasau Training Centre in Sigatoka on Friday, he said this issue had created problems of unemployment and increased population.

“It also puts a lot of pressure on the infrastructure in most urban centres,” he said.

Mr Seruiratu said the need to attract more youths into farming was important to ensure the sustainability of the agriculture sector.

“The agriculture sector offers huge potential for youth and both the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Youth and Sports must continue to emphasise this fact.

“We need to encourage as many young people as possible to get into commercial agriculture production and even to venture into agro processing.

“Through the two ministries, combining agriculture expertise and using non-formal education with a focus on youth will ensure that more interested young farmers have access to agriculture education in the most accessible format for them.”

Mr Seruiratu said young people could transform the agriculture sector by applying new skills and modern farming techniques that would not only increase production but also increase and sustain healthy living.

Last month, the ministry held the 2017 Agriculture Show at Syria Park in Nausori to recognise the hard work of farmers.