A portable rice mill has been given to the Nabitu Farmers’ cluster in Sigatoka to address constraints.

While handing over the mill, Minister for Agriculture Doctor Mahendra Reddy highlighted that more than 80 per cent of rice is imported.

With rice being a major staple food, Fiji loses about $60 million a year on imports.

Dr Reddy told farmers that during the next harvest farmers no longer need to travel far to transport rice.

Minister Reddy urged farmers to also take up rice farming to help decrease the rice import bill.