Land and water resources management identified to achieve sustainable food security

Different varieties of dalo, yams, cassava and sweet potatoes are some of the climate change resilient crops.

Permanent Secretary for Agriculture Jitendra Singh says to achieve sustainable food security, land and water resources management has been identified as one of the priority areas.

Singh says better use and management of natural resources by raising land productivity, controlling and minimizing land degradation, increasing bio-diversity and adapting to the extreme weather condition and environment has become issues for developing countries like Fiji.

He says the development and identification of climate resilient crop varieties with enhanced tolerance to heat, drought, flooding, and chilling are essential in order to sustain and improve crop yields to cope with the challenges of climate change.

Singh says several crop improvement programs are focused on improving productivity with tolerance to various stresses such as drought, heat, cold and flooding.

The Ministry of Agriculture together with SPC, German Cooperation GIZ and Land Resources Planning and Development and Research Divisions today launched the Climate Change Resilient Crop Varieties Booklet for distribution to their staff, farmers and the rural population all over Fiji.