Farmers are encouraged to practise mulching, minimum tillage, water harvesting, effective irrigation and maintaining soil cover to reduce moisture loss and protect their crops as the Ministry of Agriculture rolls out six initiatives to support those affected by El Niño.
Farmers also have one week to apply for assistance under the Ministry of Agriculture, Waterways and Sugar Industry's El Niño Response Initiatives.
Minister for Agriculture Tomasi Tunabuna says the initiatives are designed to protect farmers' livelihoods, sustain agricultural production, strengthen household food security and support farming families most vulnerable to prolonged dry weather.
The six initiatives cover emergency farm water and irrigation, livestock feed, water and animal health, climate-resilient planting materials and seeds, climate-smart agriculture and soil moisture, household and community food security, and sugar sector drought protection.
Under the emergency farm water and irrigation initiative, assistance will include water tanks, emergency water delivery, water conveyance systems, irrigation kits and sugarcane irrigation where technically appropriate.
For livestock farmers, the Ministry will provide support through livestock feeding systems, silage, supplementary feed, livestock water, strategic de-stocking advice, bee feed and essential animal treatment.
The climate-resilient planting materials initiative will support access to suitable planting materials for dalo, yams, vegetables, kumala, rice and cassava, while strategic multiplication blocks will be established to improve future availability.
Under climate-smart agriculture and soil moisture, farmers will be encouraged to adopt practical measures such as mulching, minimum tillage, cover crops, protective cropping, drip irrigation, drought-tolerant varieties and water harvesting.
The household and community food security initiative will support home gardening, backyard farming, community nurseries and communal food production, particularly for households facing pressure on their food supplies.
The sugar sector drought protection initiative will focus on trash retention, minimum tillage, crop stress mapping, crop checks, targeted irrigation, wildfire advisories and access to suitable early-maturing seed cane.
Tunabuna says the initiatives were developed after the Ministry received reports from agriculture stations, extension offices, industry representatives and farmers' organisations about declining water availability, crop losses, deteriorating pastures, livestock feed shortages, pressure on household food supplies and reduced farm incomes.
He says the Ministry assessed where the impacts were most severe, which farming households were most vulnerable and what assistance was urgently required before reallocating its budget, personnel and activities.
Farmers who are genuinely affected are encouraged to review the three prospectuses covering the six initiatives and apply for assistance that best addresses their immediate farming or household needs.
The expression of interest period will initially remain open for one week, after which the Ministry will assess the number, locations and nature of applications received to determine whether the application period should be extended.
Tunabuna stresses that submitting an expression of interest does not automatically guarantee assistance, as applications will be assessed based on eligibility, field verification, technical suitability, severity of the impact and the availability of resources.
He is also asking farmers to provide complete and accurate information to ensure assistance is distributed fairly and transparently, while minimising bias, potential conflicts of interest and duplication.
Meanwhile, the Ministry has convened the Fiji Food Security Cluster, bringing together stakeholders to share information, coordinate efforts and identify ways to assist farmers, exporters, households and consumers affected by El Niño.
Tunabuna says the effects of El Niño go beyond individual farms and can also affect food availability, market supplies, food prices, exports and household incomes.
He says the Ministry is also working with the World Food Forum Fiji Youth Chapter, the Fiji Women Farmers Network, civil society organisations and community representatives to ensure the response includes women farmers, young people, people living with disabilities, minority groups, remote communities and vulnerable households.
Tunabuna says the six initiatives are the first stage of the Ministry's targeted response, with further assistance or adjustments to be considered depending on monitoring, applications received and available resources.
He is also urging farmers and communities to use water responsibly, protect water sources, follow wildfire advisories and avoid unnecessary burning.
