The Minister for Agriculture Mahendra Reddy has stressed that climate change has had an immense impact on Fiji’s agriculture sector adding that the World Bank Vulnerability Assessment for Fiji estimated that cyclones and floods costed $791 million in damages and losses to the agriculture sector over the last 16 years which was equivalent to an average of around $50 million per year.
While speaking at the China and Pacific Islands States Forum on Agriculture Cooperation in Nadi Reddy reiterated that agriculture sector is vital for the food security of many Fijians.
Reddy adds that to sustain healthy relationship between Pacific Islands countries and China, it as essential that we explore pathways and establish good practices to develop a sustainable agriculture sector.
Reddy also highlighted that in 2017, the agriculture crops and livestock sector contributed $557.3m to total GDP contributing 8-percent to national GDP.
The exclusion of sugar cane growth still brought the relative GDP contribution to 7.4-percent.
Reddy says that foreign exchange has played a significant role in Fiji’s economy as the country earned $208 million in 2017 by exporting domesticated non-sugar crops and livestock.
Reddy also highlighted that Pacific Island countries are rich in natural resources and have great potential for economic development.
He adds that challenges such as climate change, insufficient financial resources and the difficulty of prioritizing adaptation resources should not prevent households from producing their own goods and working together as one.
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