The Government must consider strategies that will boost the agriculture sector and implement methods that will increase productivity given Fiji’s vast land resources.

This was one of the prevalent issues raised at the National Development Plan (NDP) national consultations being conducted around the country.

Ministry of Finance head of Strategic Planning Kamal Gounder told this newspaper that members of the public also raised the need to address land resource utilisation, enhance investments in income-generating projects, and climate change resilience measures.

Other issues that arose out of consultations from the four major divisions included:

 the need to increase and improve farm access road where farmers are unable to access farmlands in the interior,

 construction of a proper, safe and enclosed market facility to sell produce, and also construction of a public convenience facility as there is none for vendors to use in some areas,

and  the need to construct a bridge between Tuva and Bemana in the West that will allow accessibility for farmers to transport vegetables to the market.

Mr Gounder said people also raised the need to attract and invest in eco-tourism projects, and enhance youth empowerment and creating more income generating programs and initiatives.

“Most of these issues are prevalent across the four divisions,” he said.