FCLC to put together 5 year strategic plan

Representatives and key stakeholder partners of the Fiji Crop and Livestock Council have come together to strategise and develop a way forward for the Council for the next five years.

Chairman for the Fiji Crop and Livestock Council Simon Cole says they have the New Caledonia Chamber of Agriculture present at the workshop to help them in putting together a strategic plan.

He says there is a lot to learn from the New Caledonia Chamber of Agriculture’s experiences in their agricultural sector because they have been doing this for more than 100 years.

Cole says New Caledonia Chamber of Agriculture gave $130,000 that was distributed to the farmers in the last few months for the Cyclone Winston relief.

He says the council has not provided services to their 33,000 farmers, and did not have the resources or the opportunities to allow the association to get out and function as an association.

Coles says this Strategic Plan will be their guideline to provide services to the farmers.

While officially opening the Council’s Strategic Planning Workshop, Permanent Secretary for Agriculture Jitendra Singh says the contributions by the representatives from various associations will be crucial in developing the Five Year Strategic Plan.

Singh says the Ministry wants to assist players in the agriculture sector with improving productivity, lowering their reliance on external support and adjust better to changes in the market conditions.