72,000 households expected to be covered in 2020 Agriculture Census

72,000 households are expected to be covered in the 2020 Agriculture Census which will be conducted next year.

While speaking at the launch of the 2020 Fiji Agriculture Census Awareness Campaign, the Permanent Secretary for Agriculture, Ritesh Dass says it is important to conduct the agriculture census as more than half of Fijian families are highly dependent on agriculture which includes crops, livestock, fisheries and forests.

Dass says $4.5 million has been allocated by the government for the 2020 Fiji Agriculture Census.

Agriculture Census in Fiji is carried out every 10 years and the last census was conducted in 2009 which covered 65,000 households.

He says the Ministry of Agriculture has undertaken 4 agricultural censuses since 1970.

Dass says 430 enumerators will be deployed across the country to carry out the census.

The Ministry of Agriculture with the support of (FAO)Food and Agriculture Organisation's technical assistance will be carrying out the 2020 Agriculture census.

The 2020 Agriculture Census will be conducted from the 10th to 29th of February next year.