Fiji’s first-ever state-of-the-art greenhouse to enhances food security preparedness through a stable and accessible supply chain

The construction of Fiji’s Ministry of Agriculture’s first-ever state-of-the-art greenhouse at its Koronivia Research Station (KRS) is progressing according to plan.

Fiji’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations and Ambassador to Canada, Satyendra Prasad, Monday was briefed on the capital project works currently undertaken at KRS, during a site tour led by the Minister for Agriculture, Waterways and Environment, Dr Mahendra Reddy and senior officials of the Ministry of Agriculture.

In a meeting with Ambassador Prasad, Minister Reddy acknowledged the partnership from the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI) for agreeing to partner with the Ministry of Agriculture through funding of the greenhouse as it underscored the importance of enhancing Fiji’s food security preparedness.

Minister Reddy said due to the global COVID-19 pandemic exposing the vulnerabilities of the global economy, it also underscored the importance of food security and managing food security risks accentuating the urgent need to adapt and to be forward-thinking on a multi-faceted approach to achieve sustainable agricultural development.

The Greenhouse project is earmarked to alleviate some of these key challenges locally. This project enhances food security preparedness through a stable and accessible supply chain for seeds and planting material in Fiji through 3 main objectives;

i. Building a bio-secured climate-controlled greenhouse facility to increase the productivity of the Government’s central crop nursery, promote multiplication, adaptive crops, and secure the supply chain for seedlings throughout the country at all times;

ii. Building a strong information network of crop nurseries nationwide, and 

iii. Support research capacity including 22 female research staff.

Currently, the KRS nursery is essentially a field nursery containing over 60 crop varieties and doubles as a multiplication centre, with the Research Station being a key repository for food security supplying seedlings throughout Fiji.

In the long-term, the Greenhouse Project is anticipated to provide a stable repository and supply chain comprising public, private, and farmer nurseries that provide local seeds and planting material at all times; with an expected increase in crop yield and overall productivity due to healthy and resilient crops.

The greenhouse is estimated to cost over CAD$210,000 (FJ$339,272).

This feature was originally published by Fiji Government on 15 February 2022, reposted via PACNEWS.