GET VACCINATED, MINISTER REDDY URGES FARMERS

18/04/2021

We urge all of you to get vaccinated, Minister for Agriculture, Waterways and Environment, Hon. Dr Mahendra Reddy encouraged farmers at Nasaucoko, Namataku, Navosa last week.
 
The Minister was officiating at a tractor handover to Bitovani Farmers’ Cooperative after the group collected their one-third contribution and were assisted under the Farm Mechanisation Programme.
 
Minister Reddy informed farmers that the Government through the Hon. Prime Minister and the Hon. Minister for Health were working hard to ensure that all Fijians would be vaccinated in the step towards re-opening the country’s borders.
 
“We cannot continue to keep our borders closed. We want the tourism sector to start. We want tourism earnings to come in. There is a lot of interest to sell products in the tourism sector and start re-employment in the industry.
 
“For that to start, other countries are saying that we need to get vaccinated. Then only will it be safe for their citizens to come to Fiji, likewise Fijians can then travel to Australia, New Zealand or America.
 
“That is why we are now pushing for vaccination,” he said.
 
Minister Reddy thanked the farmers for growing the agriculture sector despite COVID-19 pandemic.
 
Further, he said that despite the global and domestic impact of COVID-19, the agriculture sector remained unaffected.
 
He expressed his gratitude to all Fijian farmers for ensuring the sector continued to grow.
 
“We were successful in getting agriculture exports up by 25 per percent because of all of you who participated in that and we want this momentum to continue.
 
“We can only increase agriculture exports if we produce more and we can produce more if we bring in more land under production, if we work hard, if you can do more with what we have,” he said.
 
“I want to thank each one of you, all the farmers here, all the farmers in the country, who worked very hard to increase agriculture production for the food security of households.”
 
The Minister said members of households who lost their jobs started growing vegetables around their homes located in urban, peri-urban, and rural areas.
 
“Food security was not an issue despite the pandemic,” he said.