The New Zealand High Commission First Secretary Brendan Sherry handed over a Kubota Rough Terrain vehicle to the Ministry of Agriculture yesterday. The vehice is to be used at the Koronivia Research Station Dairy Unit.

“Koronivia Research Station (KRS) Dairy Unit is a good environment to demonstrate to the Fijian farmers some of the techniques which can be used to improve production on their own farms.

“Through pasture management, animal nutrition, stock control including fencing and focusing on rearing healthy calves to build strong dairy herds which are the future of the industry,” Mr Sherry said.

Meanwhile, Permanent Secretary for Agriculture, Jitendra Singh said that the 2020 policy agenda aims to strengthen the agriculture sector to make it economically and environmentally sustainable.

He further said the Ministry of Agriculture’s Koronivia Research Station (KRS) dairy farm will be upgraded to a relevant fit-for-purpose industry training farm and a MOA engagement with vocational training providers will be developed.

“KRS has the potential to be one of the centre-points of an extension programme focussed on the improvement of dairy farming in Fiji.

“To become a credible training, teaching and research centre, considerable development and improvements need to be made so that it can demonstrate commercial, relevant and profitable dairy farm,” said Mr Singh.