Koronivia Research Station operates field nurseries where research is conducted on more than 60 crop varieties.
This was highlighted by Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama, while opening a New Smart Nursery at the Koronivia Research Station today.
PM Bainimarama said that farmers face challenges in the form of cyclones or climatic events, which can wipe out their entire harvests, increase the price of food in the market, and affect the economy adversely.
“This Nursery is a vital part of our long-term effort to ensure that Fiji has a food supply that cannot be unduly disrupted by climate change and extreme weather events, like the 14 cyclones that have struck us since 2016,” he said.
“When we talk about sustainable agriculture, we are talking about smart agriculture; that is, using technology and the vast knowledge the world has amassed about how plants thrive and adapt, to develop hardy varieties of important crops.”
“Nurseries play a dynamic role in Fiji’s horticultural development. They are where good quality seedlings are raised before being transferred to the field and we simply cannot do without them,” PM Bainimarama added.
Apart from providing seedlings for rehabilitation programs after natural disasters, this Nursery will also work to harden tissue-culture planting materials for mass propagation.
PM Bainimarama also thanked the Canadian Government for injecting more than $330,000 for the construction of the Koronivia Smart Nursery and other associated activities.
High Commissioner of Canada to Fiji, Joanne Lemay, said “the establishment of the smart greenhouse is an example of the work Fiji and Canada are undertaking to respond to the global challenge of climate adaptation”.
“In the past decade, the Canada Fund has contributed more than $2.1 million Fijian dollars to development projects in your country. The Fund represents a small part of Canada’s overall contribution to development assistance. “
“We are delighted to know that the establishment of this greenhouse facility will support professional pathways for women in agricultural research, management, and science,” she added.