Should assistance for the dairy sector continue in the coming years, the industry can reach self-sufficiency by 2027, says Fiji Cooperative Dairy Company Ltd (FCDCL) CEO Kushmendra Prasad.
The organisation now has an in-house veterinarian and is conducting regular meetings with farmers to address issues as and when they spring up.
He said Fiji presently produces about 6.077 million litres of milk each year, which could grow by about 500,000 litres in the coming year.
Mr Prasad said it was a gradual process and the recovery would take time, however, they were prepared to tackle the hard yards ahead.
The focus in the coming years is to increase the number of milking cows and continue to promote dairy as a viable venture.
“We see agriculture as the backbone, and the solution for every problem is agriculture,” he said.
“If you are not employed today, to get yourself employed, you join agriculture. It doesn’t necessarily mean you join headquarters agriculture; it means you become a farmer and you are employed by yourself.”
Mr Prasad said the focus would be to look for interested farmers to lease idle land, which they could do by presenting a solid proposal and business plan to the iTaukei Land Trust Board (TLTB).
He said those interested could also register with FCDCL and get a licence through the Ministry of Agriculture.
“I think a lot of farms in Sigatoka will be open as per analysis that was done. We have several farms but what we say, as a business, is to follow the industry benchmark of about 60 litres per day.”
