Laws more than two decades old are getting in the way of replacing imported lamb and mutton with locally bred sheep.

The Ministry of Agriculture is reviewing the Agriculture Act which is an obstacle in promoting Fijian products.

Permanent Secretary Uraia Waibuta says the ministry is trying to find more farms for these sheep to grow livestock quantity – not only for local demand but to enable lamb and mutton exports.

‘’We are in the process of amending this Act so that it will open up some of the identified farmers through the approval of the minister to establish some slaughter houses and allowed them to sell slaughter animals into the existing market’’.

Import substitution has been encouraged as a means to assist local sheep farmers and also reduce our import bill.