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Fiji Rice Limited chairman Raj Sharma said there were 600 registered rice farmers in Fiji and that number was expected to grow significantly.
He said last Saturday during a speech at the opening of the Fiji Rice Mill in Nailaja, Barbados, that 100 farmers were from the Western Region.
“Now with the plant, farmers have also shown interest and we expect a significant increase in production,” Mr Sharma said.
“Currently, we get 10% of our rice from Viti Levu and our target is to increase this to 25% in the next two seasons, which is 1,600 acres in 2025, 1,800 acres in 2026 and 2,230 acres in 2027.”
“There is also a lot of interest from first-time growers in Vanua Levu – the villages of Wailevu, Yarawa, Nabua (Savusavu) and the Ministry of Agriculture are jointly coordinating and facilitating the training.”
Mr Sharma said landowners in Rakiraki and Tailevu had shown interest and had met with the iTaukei Land Trust Board (TLTB).
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