Sainiani Boila 
[Source: Ministry of Agriculture and Waterways Fiji/Facebook]
More than 27,000 young people remain actively engaged in farming across the nation.
Speaking at the inaugural National Youth in Agriculture Symposium Minister for Agriculture Tomasi Tunabuna emphasized the government’s commitment to investing in youth as custodians of our national food security.
Tunabuna says the Ministry is therefore focused on equipping these young farmers with the latest skills, technology, and resources, enabling them to build sustainable and climate-resilient agro-enterprises.
He says for far too long, agriculture was seen as a last-resort job, back-breaking and unrewarding and Tunabuna called out this outdated perception, highlighting how farming is now the most critical and innovative sector for young entrepreneurs who aspire to create jobs and wealth, rather than just seek employment.
“We are here to declare that farming or agriculture is the most critical innovative and exciting sector for any young farmer, which can make someone a boss or a millionaire if we are committed to it.”
The two-day symposium aims to expose youth to innovative farming models, market dynamics, and government policies while nurturing networking with private sector partners, NGOs, and successful farmers.
It also seeks to identify barriers that youth face and inform government programming to better support their ambitions.
The Minister urged participants to seize this opportunity to network, mentor each other, and commit to actionable goals that will propel Fiji’s agriculture into a thriving future.
The two-day forum ends today.
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