Shania Shayal Prasad 
[Source: Parliament of the Republic of Fiji/ Facebook]
The Agricultural Marketing Authority is facing growing criticism over its inability to purchase produce from rural farmers, despite ongoing government campaigns encouraging increased agricultural output.
Executive Chair Jone Sovalawa states that limited storage capacity and declining budgets have severely restricted the Authority’s ability to buy and distribute excess commodities.
While responding to questions from the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, Sovalawa revealed that AMA is currently operating on a significantly reduced budget of $2.5 million, less than half of what it received in previous years, affecting its capacity to support rural producers.
[Source: Parliament of the Republic of Fiji/ Facebook]
“But the expectations of the farming community are quite high. People are calling us from all over Fiji, asking if we can buy their produce. However, we have limited storage facilities and cannot buy through online channels. That is a key challenge we are currently facing.”
Sovalawa adds that AMA is seeking urgent collaboration with relevant ministries to address infrastructure and funding shortfalls.
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