The Fiji Crop and Livestock Council’s 12 commodity as­sociations will make presen­tations on the commercial develop­ment of the agricultural industry at its workshop to be held at the South­ern Cross Hotel, Thursday, March 7.

Chairman Simon Cole said the workshop underscores the impor­tance the Minister of Agriculture, Mahendra Reddy, made in recent remarks on the importance of com­mercializing agriculture.

Mr Reddy will be chief guest at the workshop.

The workshop is being organised by FCLC in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture and sup­ported by CTA/PIFON.

Those invited include Govern­ment, funding agencies, diplomatic missions, NGOs, and other key stakeholders associated with the ag­riculture industry.

The associations include Pigs, Yaqona, Grazing Livestock, Dalo, Cocoa, Ginger, Rice, Beekeepers, Fruit and Vegetable, Organics, Co­pra, and the Dairy Industry.

Created in 2010 by Government “for the expressed purpose of focusing on the business end of agriculture,” the Council has been active over the years in addressing concerns that have affected the way farmers do business.

It presently has over 35,000 farmers as its members.

“We believe that the way forward for agriculture is for farmers to de­velop their products as a business.

FCLC is structured to encourage agriculture as a business and work­ing with Government to achieve this direction.

Mr. Cole said that those who do at­tend the workshop would see that the FCLC commodity associations have made major strides in their awareness of what it takes to have a successful business.

Art the conclusion of the work­shop, the association members will stay back for their annual general meeting to be held at the hotel on Friday.

Feedback: karalaini.tavi@fijisun.com.fj