Taiwan donated FJD125,000 on 30 November 2021, in response to the Ministry of Agriculture’s request for the purchase of tractors to benefit farmers in Vanua Levu. This comes after a donation of FJD90,000 to support the mechanization of Fiji’s agriculture sector in Viti Levu was made back in 2020.
Taiwan Representative Joseph Chow said that his government is pleased to continue its support for the tractor project initiated by the Ministry of Agriculture, especially during the difficult times of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Since 1971 Taiwan has spared no effort to assist Fiji in agriculture, ranging from sugar cane farming in the early days to the farming of high value-added products like guava and dragon fruit today. Furthermore, Taiwan is injecting another 3 million Fijian Dollars to set up two smart farms in Nausori, which will house two smart greenhouses, one tissue culture lab, one post-harvest station and among other facilities. Smart farming not only stands for a new chapter for Taiwan-Fiji co-operation partnership, but also demonstrates a new era for Fiji’s advanced agricultural development.
The Ministry of Agriculture is grateful for Taiwan’s assistance with the development of agriculture in Fiji, including its continued generous support for the tractor project, which will benefit farmers tremendously in rural areas. In line with the sustainability of the tractor project, the tractors will be given to farmer clusters that will pay matching funds for the cost, so those tractors will be utilized wisely and well maintained. (E)
Taiwan makes a donation to support Ministry of Agriculture’s tractor project
