Farmers encouraged to plant yams to meet growing demand

More farmers are being encouraged to participate in planting yams and help meet the increasing demands in the market.

This follows a Mini Yam Competition for the farmers in Rakiraki organised by the Ministry of Agriculture.

The Mini Yam Competition was organized to promote and strengthen yam production to meet the increasing demands of quality yams for local and export market and to address the revitalization of the indigenous disaster resilient crops in Fiji.

Principal Agriculture Officer West, Viliame Mainawalala says the Ministry is working very closely with the farmers in terms of providing support to the farmers.

He says that for the Western division, Rakiraki is the main producing area for yam but we are trying to revive and encourage more farmers to take up this crop especially for the export market.

49-year-old Epeli Sasau from Bucalevu Village in Ra who received the first prize in the Competition said the demand for yams is increasing in the market.

He adds that he has been planting yams for almost 10 years now and the demand for yams in Fiji is increasing because the overseas market is also opening up for the local farmers.