Hon Minister for Agriculture;
Members of the Diplomatic Corp;
Permanent Secretaries;
Commissioner Western;
Senior Government Officials;
Farmers;
Ladies and Gentlemen;
A very Good Morning to you all.
For a Westerner, like myself, and of course my dear colleague the Hon Minister for Agriculture, please allow me to personally greet you again – COLA VINA.
I am delighted to be here, in Nadi, today to open the Western Division 2020 Agriculture Show. Thank you for the invitation and kind words of welcome, it’s always a pleasure to be home.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am told, this is the third and final Agriculture Show for this year, with similar shows being hosted in the Central and Northern Divisions. The event here in Nadi, brings the total number of farmers who will participate in the exhibitions to 28,000.
This year’s theme for the Agriculture Show is “Grow, Nourish, Sustain, Together” – Our Actions are Our Future, is very important for us, as a nation, especially to bring the focus back to agriculture. It is critical in this time of pandemic. Through these Agriculture Shows, we need Fijians to thing local and buy local.
Our Agriculture sector has continued to perform consistently despite the pandemic. This clearly indicates that despite challenges, agriculture will remain an important sector for the generation of economic activities and also for access to fresh, healthy and nutritious Fijian Grown produce.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
For the past 5 years, agriculture’s contribution to the GDP has averaged around 4.2%. In 2019, agriculture (only Crop and Livestock) contributed around $725.8 million. In the same year, more than 87,000 farmers produced approximately 327,000mt of agricultural commodities, as compared to 315,000mt in 2018.
Our Agriculture exports continue to grow, in the first half of 2020, exports of fresh and chilled commodities grew by 15%, when compared to 2018. This growth is attributed to Kava exports to the US, Taro to New Zealand and Australia, Turmeric and Ginger to the US, Spices to the Netherlands and fresh produce exports to the Pacific Island Countries.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is important that to maintain consistency of supply and quality of produce to enable us to maintain the existing markets and explore new ones. With quality comes packaging and branding.
This is why, I want to use the platform of the Agriculture Show to remind you of your very own national brand the ‘Fijian Made-Buy Fijian’ initiative. The Fijian Made brand provides opportunities, especially for farmers, to get brand recognition locally and globally.
The ‘Fijian Made-Buy Fijian’ Campaign was launched in 2011. It set a clear vision to strengthen Fiji’s position as a trade and manufacturing hub and to capitalise on the Fijian brand.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Being licensed as Fijian Made or Fijian Grown provides leverage to marketing your produce in the Fijian and the global market. Over the years, licensed businesses have benefits from this consolidated branding approach. It has given them a national brand platform, which depicts quality, authenticity and standards. As part of the national branding, the Fijian Trade Commissions based in the critical markets, such as Australia, New Zealand, China, the United States and Pacific Island Countries, provide technical support and guide businesses on procedures to be met to enter the markets.
There is great potential for more Fijian farmers to join the Campaign, and I strongly encourage you to do so, if you haven’t already.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
This Year’s Show highlights the need for a collaborative effort to ensure that we sustain our food system. It reminds us that coordinated actions, today will definitely determine our future.
Over the three days, there will be exhibition of equipment, animals and recreational activities associated with agriculture and animal husbandry. We will also see new products and technologies for farmers. It is also a great platform to encourage collaboration and engagement between the public private sector, to discuss at length how best they can grow and move the sector forward together.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Agriculture is the key to eradicating hunger and poverty. Food security and having access to nutritional food is critical for a healthy and productive nation. As I have alluded to earlier, we need to bring our focus back to the essentials – which is our Food system.
We need to encourage our farmers to plant more and supply more Fijian grown food for our local and international markets.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Agriculture Show is the best meeting point to establish this relationship. Therefore, I encourage everyone here today to visit the booths, talk to Agricultural Officers and obtain the best advice on how to start a business. And for more information on the Fijian Made and Fijian Grown branding, please contact the Ministry of Commerce, Trade, Tourism and Transport offices in Lautoka and Sigatoka.
With those words, it is my pleasure to officially open the 2020 Western Division Agriculture Show.
Thank you, Vinaka Vakalevu.