Rice farmers in Ba and nearby areas can now breathe a sigh of relief with the opening of a new rice mill in Nailaga.
The new mill, worth more than $413,000, has been made possible through the collaborative efforts of the Ministry of Agriculture and Waterways, a Chinese rice team and Fiji Rice Limited (FRL).
Yesterday, the Prime Minister Hon. Sitiveni Rabuka opened the mill, highlighting that our local rice industry is a key component of the “infrastructure” for our food security and livelihoods.
“The new mill represents Fiji Rice Limited’s commitment to the community by bringing milling service closer to support the livelihood of rural farmers on Viti Levu,” said the PM.
“The mill has been renovated with the latest machinery enabling it to process 10 tonnes of paddy per day.
“To assist farmers further, FRL will provide transportation for the paddy to be picked up free of cost from their farms to the mill.
“There are currently 92 farmers engaged in rice farming from the Ba area to Rakiraki and I have great hope that with the operations of this new mill, rice production will continue to increase.”
As part of the Fiji Government’s commitment towards increasing rice production and reducing the country’s rice import bill, FRL is allocated $1.4m within the allocation under the Public Enterprise Department in the 2024-2025 national budget, which was passed in Parliament last week.
Under the Ministry of Agriculture, a total of $350,000 is allocated for the rice farming program for extension services with another $200,000 for rice crop research and development.
Further, a total of $800,000 has been set aside for the rice irrigation scheme and $60,000 for the rice development program.
PM Rabuka commended FRL and its board for their efforts in turning the industry around and for persuading government to introduce incentives for rice farmers and assistance with farm needs.
“This strengthens our food security as a nation with the aim to become self-sufficient in terms of rice and other “essentials” of life and to reduce our annual import bill,” he concluded.
For Ba rice farmer Rajesh Kumar Singh, rice farming has become the lifeline of his family.
“I have been a rice farmer for about 40 years now and I have never regretted becoming one as it has supported my family’s livelihood,” the Koronubu resident stated.
“All my three children’s education was supported through the income earned from rice farming. Some people might see this as a difficult job but I can assure them that rice farming is not hard.
“We earn good income from rice farming while also providing for our own sustenance. I thank the government for its continued support towards rice development in Fiji and I challenge those who have land to venture into rice farming.”
Fiji Rice Limited has registered about 600 rice farmers across Fiji, with only 100 from the West.
