Regional workshop explores financial inclusion for Pacific farmers

Access to financial services by Pacific Island farmers and fisherfolk was a key discussion at a recent regional workshop in Nadi.

The Investment Readiness & Financial Inclusion initiative was an opportunity for more than eighty farmers from the Pacific, fisherfolk, agribusiness owners and community organizations to explore how the financing of small and medium agricultural enterprises could be improved and access made easier.

This also included Government representatives, financiers and development partners.

Speaking at the workshop, Assistant Minister for Agriculture Viam Pillay says he’s confident the deliberations will bring the best of strategies to the combined effort towards achieving a way forward in collaborating with Governments, financiers and development partners.

The workshop topics key to these discussions included innovative financing mechanisms, value chain capacity building programmes, policies, regulations and legislation that can assist farmers in developing and growing their business.

Five farmer and agribusiness representatives from Fiji, Republic of Marshall Islands and Solomon Islands pitched their investment business cases to a jury of judges from banks and finance organizations to access seed funding to support the implementation of their inclusive business models.