Riya Bhagwan 
Fiji is losing millions on importing fruits and vegetables due to a lack of focus on the agriculture sector, says Nadi Chamber of Commerce President Lawrence Kumar.
Kumar says the sector holds huge potential to drive the nation’s next stage of economic growth, but without proper attention, Fiji is falling behind. He claims much of the country’s fertile land remains unused, slowing national development.
“We have so much productive land in this country, yet we’re importing certain vegetables from abroad – the reason is we not even enhancing our agriculture sector, we not paying attention to agriculture.”
Kumar is calling for a thorough analysis of the sector to guide targeted support and investments.
“Our land is quite fertile and the fertility of the land can help you generate huge income out of it if we actually focused on our agriculture sector.”
The government says the agriculture sector is gaining momentum, with increased investments, stronger partnerships and targeted support helping uplift the industry.
Minister for Finance Esrom Immanuel says the government recognizes the sector’s growing importance and is actively working to strengthen it.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture’s latest report, Fiji spent around $597 million on imported agricultural products in the first half of 2024, while total agricultural exports reached $386.8 million.
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