Non-sugar agricultural sectors in the country can now expect increased assistance after the launch today of the Fiji Crop and Livestock Council (FCLC) Secretariat.
The sectors that make up the FCLC include the Pig, Dairy, Beef, Sheep/Goat, Root Crop, Ginger, Kava, Honey, Fruit, Salad Vegetables and Coconut Associations as well as Food Processors.
The FCLC Secretariat will be based in Lautoka and manned by 3 staffs led by a chief executive officer.
The Council’s interim chairman and piggery farmer Simon Cole said they have secured funding for the Secretariat from the European Union (EU).
“The EU funded ITC project is providing the resources to establish the FCLC Secretariat and technical expertise to help us sustain our next phase of development for the benefit of the farmers of Fiji.
The IT services and mobile-based applications will be the initial steps the Council plans to introduce to farmers and allow them develop a phone based membership system.
“The FCLC is all about the opportunity for all non-sugar farmers in Fiji to have a special representation. This has been in the works now from 2 years. We were asked by the then minister for agriculture Joketani Cokanasiga to form the council to bring farmers into this process because too much of agriculture planning was done top down,” Cole said.
“These associations will have a representative each in the Council,” he said.
Non-sugar farmers have been contributing to Fiji’s export sector for many years.
“These famers provided huge amount of employment for the nations and contributed significantly to our GDP, export and most importantly food security for Fiji,” he said.
Meanwhile Mr Cole also accepted 3 computers donated by Government for the new Secretariat today.
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