Majority of local farmers are now registered in the Agriculture Ministry’s data base.
Minister responsible, Inia Seruiratu says their officers have been on the ground collecting information from farmers.
Seruiratu says it was not an easy task as officers were chased from farms as some farmers did not understand the issue.
“Now in terms of the modernization efforts most of them are now coming back to the Agriculture Ministry because they know that we are beginning to focus now with the assistance not only on individuals but more focused now on groups. So the last three years we have been working on our agriculture statistics, we have the database now for the ministry and if we click the farmers name all the records of the farmer will be there.”
Meanwhile, the minister also highlighted that some farmers don’t comply with the market arrangements made prior to planting.
He says when deals don’t go according to plan – farmers run back to the Agriculture Marketing Authority.
He says the mind set of our farmers must change.
