Organic ginger farming also looked at as an option where no chemicals are used
MARAIA VULA
SUVA
The Ministry of Agriculture wants farmers to treat ginger farming as a genuine business and start value adding to the product.
Agriculture Permanent Secretary, Ropate Ligairi, said: “Farmers should grow the industry commercially and treat ginger farming as a business.
“When you plant and harvest, you get your dollar. This should be invested back for your farming next year and that’s how it should grow.
“We are thinking of adding value to ginger locally apart from exporting fresh ginger. I think some exporters are already doing it like processed ginger, ginger lollies.
“And also give a good reward to the farmers who are doing all the odd jobs in the field. I think that’s the bottom line – giving farmers the reward they deserve in planting ginger.”
Organic farming
Mr Ligairi added another area which they are looking into is organic ginger farming where it doesn’t require chemicals.
He said this is another big market.
“The ginger industry can grow if we can meet the standards from here. It’s a challenge for us at the ministry to see that our farmers do it in the right way,” he said.
“All the stakeholders should know their roles and play their part according to how we want to meet those market standards.
“It’s like a package of practice and the challenge for us is to see that farmers have the ownership. They should know if they do it well and they can get good money.”
Mr Ligairi stressed the ministry’s role was to help build the capacity of farmers.
“Apart from advising them on the proper husbandry practices, we give a lot of assistance like farm machinery and agro inputs to the farmers,” he said.
“We also want them to realise it’s something they should live with and it’s not us giving them assistance all the time.”
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