Country Paper Presentation - Fiji ASIAN PRODUCTIVITY ORGANISATION

Transcription

1 Country Paper Presentation - Fiji ASIAN PRODUCTIVITY ORGANISATION 5 th - 9 th December 2016 Lahore, Pakistan Training of Trainers in the GLOBALGAP standard for Greater Market Access. Adi Lavenia Janis Ranadi Quality Assurance Manager Future Farms Limited t/a Rooster poultry Navau, Ba Fiji Islands

2 1. Brief overview on agriculture production trends in Fiji. Agriculture being the mainstay of Fiji's economy, contributes around 28% to total employment in the formal sector and indirectly employing many more. This sector which was once a major stronghold of Fiji's economy is the third largest now, contributing $451 million (9%) annually to the nations GDP. Sugarcane which used to dominate the sector now only contributes (0.9%) and has been surpassed by other crops, horticulture, and livestock production and subsistence sector. Agriculture has the potential in other sectors such as tourism and agro-industries and as a major economic activity in the rural areas; agriculture plays an important role in the process of rural development. Having a rich resource base and tropical climate, Fiji has an advantage in producing a Wide variety of tropical fruits and vegetables given Fiji's fast expanding tourism sector, agricultural growth is necessary to supply high local hotel demand. Thus, the potential for Fiji's agriculture sector is in production for local consumption, export of high value commodities and niche agricultural produce Business Opportunities in the Agriculture Sector. Potential for Fiji is found in the production and export of high value niche agricultural produce. The pristine environment, on which agricultural production takes place braced by other environmental and ecological factors, supports of organic produce. This is a major development in the fresh food market worldwide and provides lucrative opportunities to investors and stakeholders. Potential commodities for value added processing include; papaya, tomatoes, pineapple, coconut, duruka, mango, chillies, banana, cassava, taro, breadfruit, sweet potatoes, ginger, cocoa and dairy. Potential also exists in the Livestock Sector for: Animal Feed Supply, using local resources from existing industries; Dairy Farming; and Production and supply of organic farm inputs.

3 2. Brief overview on trends of major Agriculture commodities in Fiji.

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5 3. Five major issues and challengers faced by farmers affecting productivity and growth. Five major issues faced by farmers Natural disaster In the state of natural disasters as compared to the recent cyclone Winston which hit the Fiji islands at the beginning of 2016 such reducing quantity of food available thus agriculture commodities were adversely affected, these reduced the quantity of food available i.e. egg, beef, mutton, meat birds etc, these was due to injuries and mortality that are sustained from injuries during the disaster, damage of infrastructure (sheds, roads, buildings, etc). There was a decrease in agriculture output, increase in disease outbreaks and an increase in the purchase of materials, fuels, for rehabilitation. Financial assistance Farmers at scales of production need access to the input s required to produce a service or product in a recommended and constant supply. Disease outbreak. When issues of diseases occur there is a loss of market agreement with traders for exports due to the impact of animal productivity due to the presence of illness. Land issues (expiry of leases). Over 80% of Fiji Land mass is owned by indigenous communal units as native land. A huge proportion of this native lands has been leased out for agriculture purposes to indo Fijian tenants, which over the last decade has started expiring. Thus many tenants have opted not to renew their leases and invest in some other source of income generators such as businesses or migration into other countries. Rural urban drift The results of the targeted small-scale farmers showed that labor migration to the urban areas has affected labor supply constraint in the farming communities. The problem is that labor migration at a household level affects both directly and indirectly the labor force of the families left behind. Migration is part of an income diversification strategy where remittances are being sent to the farm household to help reduce the risks incurred in both subsistence and agriculture activities. The rural-urban drift and its effects on agricultural development were found to be both beneficial and negative.

6 4. Major programmes from the government improve production. The Ministry of Agriculture roles includes: To accelerate agricultural product diversification into crops and livestock products where competitive advantage has been identified; To facilitate private sector development; To promote food security and To ensure sustainable development in the non-sugar sector through Some of the major programmes assisted by the government are as follows. Demand driven approach(dda) Food security Program Rural and outer Island Programs Other government agencies and private sectors.

7 5: Brief overview of National GAP standards in Fiji: G.A.P. AWARD 2016 WINNER: Ranadi Plantation Partnership, Fiji Ranadi Plantation Partnership is Fiji s largest organic ginger farm and has been owned by the same family for three generations. They are Fiji s first and only GLOBALG.A.P. Certified farm. Comprising 62 hectares, Ranadi is located on Fiji s main island, Viti Levu. Their main export crop is fresh ginger, with the farm producing a wide range of other fruit, legumes and spices. Ranadi Plantation s mission is to provide discerning customers with the best tasting ginger, implementing only the highest quality organic and sustainable farming methods. At Ranadi Plantation, they believe soil husbandry is the key to sustainable large-scale agriculture, and they prioritize not just maintaining and replacing their soil, but increasing its fertility and volume using organic and biological techniques. Achievements Promotion of Organic, Sustainable and Good Agricultural Practices in Fiji In 2013, the staff at Ranadi began the journey of turning a conventional farm into a sustainable, organic one. On their first audit for GLOBALG.A.P. Certification, they only had 45% compliance and spent the following three months getting the farm up to scratch. Over 75% of the farm s staff are women and Ranadi CEO and COO are both women. Women are trained to lead, and 3 of the 6 team leaders are women. A Center for Learning Since achieving GLOBALG.A.P. Certification, Ranadi has regularly opened the doors to other farmers, giving training in topics such as recycling and sustainable soil management. The Return to Heritage Techniques Ranadi vision is to help facilitate a return to heritage agricultural techniques in Fiji. By being a model business (the company is one of Fiji's few farm-pack house-exporters), Ranadi aims to show the agricultural sector that organic, sustainable practices, i.e. "the old ways" are commercially viable and can be translated into exciting branding stories and value added products.