More young farmers are showing interest in joining the dairy sector.

Fiji Corporative Dairy Company Limited Chief Executive, Kushmendra Prasad believes the increase in milk price has made many youth keen to invest in the sector.

The milk price increased to $1.05 per litre in February last year.

The farmers used to get paid $0.87 per litre of milk which was not enough to cover their cost.

“The increased price attracted more farmers to go back to dairy farming. This is because they are now able to sustain the cost.”

Prasad says they are also relooking at the operation of smallholder farms.

“If the smallholder farms need some assistance then we will help them case-by-case basis. We will also set a target of 60 litres of milk production.”

Permanent Secretary for Agriculture, Ritesh Dass, says commitment from the farmers is vital.

He adds farmers need to ensure that the milking herd is properly fed.

The calf grower feed will now be subsidized for farmers through a Memorandum of Understanding with Fiji Dairy Limited, whereby farmers will have to pay only 50 percent of the cost.

The FCDCL currently has 38 commercial farmers of which eight are highly qualified.