The export of locally grown fruits and vegetables that was hindered by the recent devastating floods and heavy rain is expected to normalise in three to four months.
The recent floods caused substantial damage to the agriculture sector in the Western Division but reports have indicated that farms in the Ba district were the most affected.
Agriculture Officer Ba, Saidi Achari said about 1,100 hectares of crops valued at about $5 million were damaged by heavy rain and floods.
“Close to 700 hectares of farms have been damaged due to floods while 400 hectares of crops were destroyed by the continuous heavy rain for three days and stagnant water in the fields,” said Mrs Achari.
“The value of the crop damage was high because vegetable farms were mainly near the river banks due to the availability of water and fertile land which produced quality vegetables,” she said.
Mrs Achari added that in recent years, crop production in Ba had increased due to sugarcane farmers diversifying into cash crops to raise their income level.
“From the district of Ba, about 60 percent of the farmers have lost their crops either due to flooding or stagnant water in the fields,” said Mrs Achari.
“The crop damage had major effect on the export market as most of the farmers in Ba province were planting for the overseas markets,” she said.
Mrs Achari said that exporters from as far as Sigatoka were buying vegetables from Ba but this has temporarily stopped as farmers supplying vegetables to the exporters have lost all their crops.
“Ba farmers produce about 40 percent of the total vegetable exports from the Western Division.”
The export of vegetables from the Western Division has substantially dropped following the devastation by the floods and heavy rain in the area.
The Operations Manager at Mahens Export in Sigatoka Mr Saten Kumar said that there has been 50 percent drop in the exports of vegetables after the floods.
Mr Kumar said presently the Company was exporting about $20,000 worth of produce every week compared to $40,000 in the same period last year.
He said the major reason for the drop in exports was due to the devastation caused to the farms in Ba, Lautoka, Nadi and Tavua which supplied 50 percent of the Company’s total vegetable exports.
Mahens Export used to export 35 different agricultural produce but now only five including okra, eggplant, curry leaves, taro leaves and turmeric are being exported and those are supplied by the Sigatoka valley farmers,” said Mr Kumar.
However, with the assistance provided by the Agriculture Department and with the concerted efforts of the farmers, the export of fruit and vegetables from the Western Division is expected to normalize in few months.
“Depending on the crop type and the extent of damage some farmers will be able to start exporting within the next three months while some will take more time due to heavy siltation on the farms which will take time to dry before cultivation can start,” said Mrs Achari.
“Some farmers have started to plant with whatever planting materials they had, their priority will be food security first,” said Mrs Achari.
“It will take about one to two months for the early maturing vegetables like okra, bean and cabbage to normalize the market supply while chillies, eggplant and fruits like pawpaw will take more time,” said Mrs Achari.
Meanwhile there is sufficient supply of some fruits and vegetables in the local municipal markets and roadside stalls.
“Produce that are available in the market are bananas, vudi, breadfruit, avocado, pineapples, dalo, cassava, dalo-ni-tana, kumala, rourou, moca, okra, eggplants, rosella leaves, water cress and pumpkins are in reasonable supply but still not meeting demand.”
“At the moment eggplant is sold at $2.00 per heap of about six to seven eggplants, a small bundle of bean and cabbage are sold from $3.00 to $4.00 and $3.00 respectively,” she said.
“There is heavy reliance on imported foods, particularly rice, flour, potatoes, dhal, tin meat and tin fish.”
Mrs Achari urged the farmers to start cultivation as soon as the field dries especially for food security and local market supply.
“There is sufficient amount of planting materials for cassava with the farmers in the Western Division.”
“All affected and non affected farmers in the Western Division have been advised to plant all available kumala cuttings, and short term flood resilient vegetables like rourou and moca for short term food security.”
“The Agriculture Department will start distributing kumala cuttings and dalo suckers to the affected farmers from next week.”
“Farmers should be prepared for natural disasters and be able to strive back with farming as their income depends on it,” said Mrs Achari.