Source: Fijian Government

The #iPlanted50 initiative by the Agriculture Ministry has been commended by the receiving communities. 

The programme, which was upscaled from the ‘Village Nutrition Security Initiative’, involves the planting of 50 fruit trees at 50 select villages around the country as part of the Ministry’s efforts to ensure the nutritional security of Fijian villages.

Agriculture Minister Dr. Mahendra Reddy spearheaded the programme implementation yesterday at Vagadra Village in Nadroga.

Dr. Reddy says though rural and maritime communities had a steady source of staple foods like dalo, cassava, and yams, there was always a shortage of nutritional foods available to them.

“In five-years-time your children, your great children in the future will have access to free fruits so that they can have balanced nutrition.”

Reddy also requested all the assisted villages to be collective caretakers of the fruit trees that were planted in their villages. 

Additionally, home gardening packages were also distributed to households to further enhance their food and nutritional security and complement traditional food sources.

Fruit trees ranging from mangoes, avocado, green pearl guava variety, home gardening packages, pomegranate, coconut, and breadfruit seedlings were planted as part of the pr