The Department of Agriculture has reiterated the importance of the Tsukuba Declaration which was signed in Tsukuba Japan in 2008.
Thirty Pacific island countries including Fiji unanimously agreed to recognise that the Asia Pacific Region is where nearly half the global population lives with high rates of population growth and poverty.
Chief economist Mr Waisiki Gonemaituba said it was also declared that agriculture continued to play a critical role in terms of employment and livelihood security in all countries of the region.
Climate change is also likely to raise regional temperatures and lead to decline in freshwater availability and sea level rise.
“The declaration advocates the use of new solutions to cater for natural disasters like droughts, floods, heat, salinity, pests and diseases which will help further increase food production,” Mr Gonemaituba said.”
Recognizing that water is the key constraint for attaining food production targets stakeholders need to prioritise water use efficiency.
Mr Gonemaituba said enhancing water use efficiency would increase farmers potential and increase agriculture production.
Agriculture contributes to 10.49 per cent of our GDP in 2008 which amounts to $53.9million and improvement in water logged areas could result in achieving the target of $80million by 2011.
Improvement in dalo planting areas will boost dalo production with farmers raking in $23 million to the Fiji economy.
“Another commodity which usually thrives in these conditions is rice. Proper drainage and irrigation will boost rice production. Government is trying to reduce rice import which stands at $35million to $40million.”Mr Gonemaituba said.
He made the comments at the Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change in Fiji workshop at Luvuluvu, Nausori last week.
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