[Source: Fiji Rucksack Club/Facebook]

A shortage of young farmers remains a major threat to food security and the Navuso Agricultural Technical Institute in Naitasiri is being positioned as a key part of the solution.

Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Waterways Inosi Kuridrani told Parliament the institute is now a lifeline for the sector as it trains rural youth including school dropouts and those from low-income families, to take over from an aging farmer population.

He said the institute’s accredited programs blend practical farming, farm management, entrepreneurship and life skills to help students build sustainable livelihoods.

Kuridrani pointed to the three-year Certificate in Agriculture and the 11-week National Certificate in Agriculture and Dairy Production as core initiatives.

“Practical life skills and holistic development, the institute complements its financial training with life skills, supervised farming experience and strong character development while also empowering students through practical support such as allocated farm plots, production and maintenance of crops, organized harvesting and marketing, accumulated savings through their individual bank accounts, all of which culminates in grades and packages that include lease land to help them begin farming in their communities.”

Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Waterways Inosi Kuridrani [Source: Parliament of the Republic of Fiji/Facebook]

The institute’s impact is also seen in the Bamford Student Farmers Scheme, which guides trainees through a three-year cropping cycle and helps them build savings of about $30,000.

This allows many to return to their villages, settlements or informal urban areas and start independent farming operations.

Kuridrani said government grants from the Ministries of Agriculture, Waterways and Education, along with tertiary loans have kept the institute operating as an accredited vocational provider.

He called for steady investment in infrastructure, modern tools and stronger ties with private enterprises, banks and international partners.

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