Fiji imports around $20 million of vegetables such as broccoli, capsicum, cauliflower, cucumber, letQtuce, and tomatoes annually due to inconsistency in supply throughout the year.
This was highlighted by the Permanent Secretary for Agriculture, Vinesh Kumar, while opening the two-day training of trainers workshop on Protected Cropping for Ministry of Agriculture staff at the Radisson Blu Resort in Nadi.
Kumar says it contributes to an increase in imports of certain vegetables to service high-end supermarkets and the hotel industry.
He adds all these vegetables can successfully grow in Fiji under protected cropping.
Kumar further says that in protected cropping, crops can be grown under structures throughout the year that otherwise couldn't be grown in an open field.
He highlighted that almost 90 per cent of farmers in Fiji grow their crops in an open field and as a result, face a lot of difficulties in producing good quality crops during the rainy season.
Kumar says the effective use of protective structures is well known worldwide.
He says the advantages of using protected cropping were an increase in crop yield, produce quality and revenue, high water productivity, significant reduction in the use of pesticides, and year-round production, allowing farming to take advantage of market seasonality and higher prices.
