“The household income and expenditure survey report for 2019/20 indicated that as many as 40 per cent of households engaged in subsistence farming and 23 per cent of those engaged as agricultural wage earners are considered poor,” he said.
Sitting fourth from left, Permanent Secretary for Agriculture, Andrew Tukana with stakeholders at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva on September 22, 2023. Photo: Beranadeta Nagatalevu
Fiji consistently runs on an agriculture trade deficit of more than $300million, says Ministry of Agricultural Permanent Secretary, Andrew Tukana.
“With the increasing challenges faced in the agricultural sector, investments in the sector’s value chain are needed to counter the low level of productivity,” he said.
He made these comment during a finance for agriculture discussion forum at the Grand Pacific Hotel.
“The household income and expenditure survey report for 2019/20 indicated that as many as 40 per cent of households engaged in subsistence farming and 23 per cent of those engaged as agricultural wage earners are considered poor,” he said.
“Population growth, the accelerated pace of climate change and the evolving dietary preference furthered challenges.”
He is of the view that without accelerated growth in the agriculture- sector and the Agri- food industry, Fiji will be unable to achieve its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“Especially the goals of reducing poverty, eliminating hunger and raising incomes,” he said.
“So, the aim is to increase agricultural produce and productivity to enhance food security, reduce poverty, create jobs and foster economic growth.”
The Fiji Agriculture Census (2020) recorded a total of 70,991 agricultural households with a population of 300,861 (35 per cent of the total population of Fiji).
The European Union is providing technical assistance for the ministry in strategic development plan.
Mr Tukana said their presence in the Fiji for more than a year showed there were rooms for improvements as well as opportunities for the expanding tourism market.
“Given the systemic importance of the agricultural sector, there was a need to keep working to identify more innovative and market- based approaches that could reach more clients in the sector,” he said.
“I know the Reserve Bank of Fiji, Fiji Development Bank and commercial banks are all working towards this,” he said.
Commercial Farmer’s views
The gradual impact of the agricultural trade deficit was well felt among farmers in Fiji.
Kaiming Agro, one of the world’s leading suppliers of ginger, is situated in Naitata Road in Navua.
Owner of Kaiming Agro, Kelvin Qiu, said with the recent COVID-19 that hit the country, the agriculture sector was the most affected.
“Our business is very heavy on labor capital and agriculture basing certain per cent on export, depends heavily on sovereign raw material price, rate and labour costs,” he said.
Mr Qiu is calling on the Government to work with them in maintaining the value of agriculture in Fiji.
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