FARMERS have been stopped from using tractors to plough wet farms, Fiji Rice Farmers Association president Yad Ram told Attorney-General and Economy Minister Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum.

Mr Sayed-Khaiyum organised a special meeting with rice farmers on Saturday after many issues and challenges were raised last Wednesday, the first day of his visit to Dreketi, Macuata.

Mr Ram claimed farmers had been told by Agriculture Ministry officials that the tractors were usually damaged when used on wet land.

“In past years, we used these machines on wet land.

“Fiji Rice Ltd announced the highest record of paddy production through the use of machines on wet land,” Mr Ram said.

“But since we have been stopped from using the machines which we hire from the ministry, the farmers are disheartened.

“We have old farmers here and we can’t manually harvest and that is why we need the machine to plough our land and prepare it for rice farming.”

Mr Sayed-Khaiyum told the farmers he would take this matter up with the ministry concerned.