NON-sugar agriculture remains a viable option for sugarcane farmers as opportunities exist within the sector to provide for farmers’ livelihoods and contribute to their income generation capabilities as farmers.
Minister for Agriculture Dr Mahendra Reddy made the comment during a talanoa session with farmers of Ellington and Naria in Ra, and said the visit was a way to bring their attention to the opportunities they had in agriculture and how they could live in terms of improving their livelihood.
He said even though those areas were traditionally sugarcane growing areas with the Government placing a lot of emphasis on supporting the sugar industry, farmers were invited to explore other agriculture-based ventures to complement their traditional sources of revenue.
“Sugarcane has been a very important product for us, and the industry has played an important role in Fiji’s economy, particularly bringing in foreign exchange and currency,” Mr Reddy said.
He also urged farmers to explore non-sugar agriculture commodities such as kava, rice, vegetables, and livestock rearing.
“We are also promoting non-sugar agriculture, which plays an important role in our economy, similarly in export creation and promotion which brings in export currency, national economic growth and sustainable livelihood development.”
