Farmers in Dreketi receive new mini combined rice harvester

Farmers in Dreketi received a boost with the provision of a new mini combined rice harvester.

This will assist farmers in the harvesting of rice and thrashing it also at the same time.

The Prime Minister who visited Dreketi yesterday was briefed by the agriculture officer for cereals and pulses Binesh Prasad, who said the Dreketi irrigation rice project is the heart of rice development in Fiji.

Prasad said the new mini combined harvester which takes one hour to harvest rice will allow farmers to spend more time on land preparations as farmers usually spend 15 days harvesting rice from the fields.

He also highlighted the need to increase funding in rice development to assist in reducing the rice import bill.

The Agriculture ministry also plans to increase rice planting areas to the province of Cakaudrove.  

Story by: Sofaia Koroitanoa