A rice farmer in Dreketi operating a combined harvester on his rice farm. Photo: MINISTRY OF PRIMARY INDUSTRIES
By RANOBA BAOA
Government wants to see the revitalisation of rice growing areas in the Northern Division. Mechanical harvesting is seen as a game-changer in this effort.
Director Crop Extension services for the Ministry of Agriculture, Vatimi Rayalu, stressed Government continues to invest a lot of money for the industry.
He said: “So as part of that revitalisation programme, Government is purchasing machines like swamp dozers, rice reapers, combined harvesters, tractors together with land preparation equipment.”
Mr Rayalu said and the onus is on the farmers and the Ministry to work together to produce more rice.
“The Northern rice revitalisation programme is really part of the food security programme and also part of the poverty alleviation strategy,” he said.
“Government wants to see that the traditional rice growing areas in the North is revitalised.
“Government wants to revisit these areas with the view of at least getting rice production back on track.
Mechanised rice farming
Mr Rayalu said Government’s commitment to mechanised rice farming in Fiji is efficient compared to the use of manual labour which is time consuming and expensive.
“We are talking about more efficient ways of producing rice by going into mechanised farming,” he said.
“This is efficient with minimum labour input but with high returns to the farmers’.”
“The use of machines in the whole rice farming process is helping to resolve the shortage of labour in most of these rural areas as most young people have moved to urban areas in pursuit of employment opportunities.”
Identifying potential areas
Mr Rayalu said the farmers need to work closely with Ministry officials so that potential areas for rice are identified which will greatly support Government’s initiative of a food secure Fiji.
“We are optimistic we will achieve the targets that we have set,” he said.
“Not only that but we are also optimistic that we will achieve the Government objectives of food security, import substitution, income security and to a greater extent, the alleviation of poverty.”