As farmers continue to raise concerns about dry conditions and difficulty growing crops, Minister for Agriculture Tomasi Tunabuna says they will roll out their assistance packages and strategy once the trigger point is reached.
While responding to questions by fijivillage News, Tunabuna says they are continuing to monitor the situation on the ground, adding they have already distributed water tanks, water pumps for irrigation and piping.
The Minister highlights that there are positive indications that farmers are still managing well, adding that they have been monitoring the situation by contacting farmers and assessing what is currently available in the market.
The Minister also says that, as part of their disaster management plans, they have started purchasing planting materials for rehabilitation, as farmers are unlikely to begin planting during the prolonged dry weather.
Tunabuna further says one of the major challenges faced by many farmers in the Western Division is uncontrolled burning, causing significant damage to farms.
He says they have held numerous consultations with farmers regarding El Niño and have asked farmers, especially sugarcane farmers, not to burn cane this year.
He adds that they are concerned about how long farmers will take to recover due to the prolonged dry weather.
The Minister says burning sugarcane is a common practice among sugarcane farmers as it removes unwanted materials from farms.
He says burning contributes to the loss of moisture from the soil, making conditions even more challenging for farmers during the current dry weather.
