More farmers are now engaging with hotels in supplying fresh vegetables and root crops.

The Minister for Agriculture, Doctor Mahendra Reddy says the Ministry has been persistent in ensuring that hotels get supplies from local farmers rather than imports.

He says teams from the Ministry have been visiting farmers and taking notes on increased engagement with hotels.

“We haven’t gone to the hotels to get the data but we are talking to the middle man and the suppliers out of the major vegetables growing area who are now diverting their produce to the hotels as well. We are very happy with that because there were some issues earlier on, about a glut in the market so with the hotels opening up, we don’t see that, so we are very happy with that.”

Dr. Reddy says this encourages people living near hotels to utilize idle land and become suppliers to resorts.

He says they can be assisted under a program called “Our Community Agriculture.”

The Minister says the Ministry will continue to ensure that more programs are introduced so that more farmers benefit from hotels while agriculture exports are not affected.