FCDCL Chairman reminds dairy farmers to treat farming as a business

The Chairman of the Fiji Cooperative Dairy Company, Simon Cole has reminded dairy farmers of the need to generate a sustainable cash flow as farming is a business.

While speaking at the company’s Annual General Meeting in Nausori, Cole says farmers should not assume that the Government support would continue in the long-term.

He also thanked the Government for its continued support to the farmers.

The Chairman also reported a continuing improvement in milk production and farm performance, despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and the loss of cattle to TB.

He adds a positive outcome as a result of the pandemic is the increased awareness of the importance of agriculture while increased milk production reflects the growth potential of the Dairy sector.

FCDCL has produced several management tools to assist non-record keeping farmers that will be rolled out in the coming months.

The meeting highlights included the acceptance and passing of the 2020 accounts.

The Permanent Secretary for Agriculture Vinesh Kumar also attended the AGM and emphasized the importance of data collection and best farming practices in the business of farming.

FCDCL CEO, Kushmendra Prasad thanked all the farmers who continue to invest in the dairy sector and stated that the local demand for milk indicates the significant potential for growth within the dairy industry in Fiji.