The Ministry of Agriculture has partnered with the British American Tobacco – Fiji to launch the Seed to Market project.

This is in a bid to foster Public Private Sector partnership through agriculture development programmes. The launch was at Votualevu in Nadi on Friday.

Minister for Agriculture, Rural and Maritime Development and National Disaster Management Inia Seruiratu said the main focus of the project was modernising the agriculture sector.

“The agriculture sector in Fiji has embarked in this agriculture development programmes under the Fiji 2020 policy agenda which focuses on modernising the agriculture sector which is a large part of the agenda,” Mr Seruiratu said.

The ministry was confident the partnership would go a long way in resolving the long-standing challenges that had limited the true Fijian agriculture sector potential.

“To address these challenges that are being faced by the agriculture sector, we need paratnership within government and private sector players.

“Public private sector partnership involves the use of the private sector like the British American Tobacco nursery facility to roll up thousands of tomatoes seedlings and the tobacco, off season is the boost to achieve greater production in the agriculture sector.”

British American Tobacco – Fiji general manager Ritesh Dass said: “This will promote growth and longevity of agriculture in Fiji and all the people will depend on it together with supporting the government’s vision of Fiji as a vibrant dynamic economy serving as the hub of the Pacific.”

Edited by Ranoba Baoa

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