Wheat Substitutes Found In Root Crops, Saves Import Bill
Fiji imported 24,000 tons of wheat in 1971 and in 2021 imported a total of 145,000 tons illustrating an increase of 83 per cent over 50 years and 5.4 per cent annually.
Wednesday 26 October 2022 | 15:00
Minister for Agriculture, Waterways and Environment Mahendra Reddy (right) with participants and stakeholders at the Local Food Fair event in Koronivia Research Station on October 18, 2022. Photo: Ministry of Agriculture, Waterways and Environment
Wheat substitutes can now be found in root crop flours, says Minister for Agriculture, Waterways and Environment Mahendra Reddy.
Experiments conducted by the Product Development Unit at the Koronivia Research Station shows that a blend of 80 to 90 per cent local crop flour mixed with 10 to 20 per cent wheat can be used to prepare bread and pastry products.
Mr Reddy said wheat substitutes would contribute to major savings in Fiji’s foreign exchange.
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In 2019, Fiji imported around $94.6m worth of wheat and in 2021 import bill increased to $108m.
“Records also showed that Fiji imported 24,000 tons of wheat in 1971 and in 2021 imported a total of 145,000 tons illustrating an in- crease of 83 per cent over 50 years and 5.4 per cent annually.”
He said one of the main reasons for the increase was attributed to the change in the eating habits of our population.
Mr Reddy stated that the Ministry of Agriculture has various agriculture packages to help increase farmers productivity and assist in leveraging the local food supply chain.
These packages are direct assistance worth $29.2 million, 45 per cent of the total Ministry of Agriculture budget.
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