Agriculture Minister Dr. Mahendra Reddy.

The agriculture sector and its contribution towards the Fijian economy has been undervalued for a long time says Minister Dr. Mahendra Reddy.

Speaking at the opening of the new Agro Marketing Authority processing facility in Savusavu, Dr. Reddy said it is time to realize the potential of the sector’s contribution towards the economy.

He believes currently Fiji is only achieving 20% of it and they want the sector to take its rightful place in the economy.

“If you look at last year’s data, we had fresh produce export from Fiji of about $50m and our aim is to double that by the middle of next year and we want to take the fresh produce sector to about $200m in three years’ time.”

Dr. Reddy says the agriculture sector has enormous potential for Fiji’s growth and development and can provide a stable source of income both locally and in terms of foreign exchange.