Challenges brought by COVID-19 have taught us to value growing our own food – PM Rabuka

The events of the past few years, especially the challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, have taught us the profound value of growing our own food.

This was stated by Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka while officiating at the World Food Day Exhibition open day at the Vodafone arena.

Rabuka shared his own personal experience from the theme that water is life, water is food, and leave no one behind says this event reminded him of a way of life that our people once cherished, the love for gardening and nurturing root crops in our backyards, which is a practice deeply rooted in our culture and heritage.

He says this year's World Food Day theme strikes at the heart of our nation's challenges and opportunities as an island nation facing specific challenges related to food security, water resources, and ensuring that all its citizens have access to nutritious food and clean water

He adds in 2021 our agriculture sector accounted for 9.1 per cent of our GDP with a 1.0 per cent growth during the year, led by top export commodities like kava, turmeric, taro, ginger, cassava, chicken meat and other vegetables.

Rabuka says in 2022, the value of fresh and chilled exports increased by 4.9 per cent contributing significantly to our national earnings. The World Food Exhibition programme began yesterday and will end tomorrow.