Deal to establish agri research institute

The Ministry of Agriculture has signed a memorandum of understanding which will see the establishment of a research institution.
The institution will be equipped for modern seed processing, testing, inspection, certification and storage system.
Minister for Agriculture, Lieutenant-Colonel Inia Seruiratu, signed the agreement with China Business Centre (Fiji) Limited and TianFeng Fu Dao Eco-Agriculture (Beijing) Limited this week.
Representing the other parties were China Business Centre (Fiji) chief executive Ma Fei and TianFeng Fu Dao Eco-Agriculture (Beijing) managing director Wang Feng.
Lieutenant-Colonel Seruiratu said the ministry recognised the potential and opportunity the two companies would provide to Fiji’s agricultural sector.
“There is a need to introduce science and technology to strengthen the seed production capacity and management in order to balance the up-stream to down-stream of the agriculture industry,” he said.
Lieutenant-Colonel Seruiratu revealed that Fiji currently imports around $36 million worth of rice and spends approximately $40 million on importing potatoes, garlic, carrots, tomatoes and capsicum.
“The economic growth that Fiji is experiencing now is largely driven by exports which continue to perform strongly,” he said.
“Therefore, the Fijian government aims to achieve import substitution of agricultural products while increasing the export at the same time.”
— MINISTRY OF
AGRICULTURE