The Permanent Secretary for the Office of the Prime Minister Yogesh Karan [right] during the handing over [Source: Fijian Government]

The handing over of three tractors, an excavator and other rice-farming equipment will boost rice production.

The Permanent Secretary for the Office of the Prime Minister Yogesh Karan officiated at the handing over saying rice farmers need to make use of vacant land to plant rice thus encourage import-substitution.

“Here we got an abundance of land and we not making use of it. So we have to make land more productive”.

Karan says with the assistance given, farmers need to be innovative in order to rejuvenate rice farming in Dreketi.

“This is the challenge I want to give to all of you that we must start thinking outside the box and rejuvenate rice farming in this area”.

The land around Dreketi is generally flat and well suited for the production of rice.