The agriculture sector of Fiji has been its economy’s backbone for more than a decade. However, due to a gradual decrease of interest in farming and a shift of focus to other industries, the contribution of the agriculture sector to the national GDP has declined significantly from 20% to about 16%.
Mechanization of the Agriculture Sector in Fiji
Mechanization of this sector plays a key role in the resuscitation and sustenance of this industry.
After Fiji’s independence, the industrial sector saw an introduction of large farm equipment, that is, agricultural tractors, in order to enhance this sector’s development. The Native Land Development Corporation (NLDC) and Ministry of Agriculture undertook large-scale mechanization practices by bringing about four-wheel-drive brand new tractors and related equipment to benefit the industry.
The end of the last century witnessed the launch of more sophisticated equipment to initiate modern farming. However, a lack of research and evaluation of the required equipment was a factor that led to the downfall of NLDC and the ministry’s mechanization priorities faced a major setback.
Modern Farming in Fiji
Farm mechanization must be entertained in Fiji in order to make the agriculture sector economically viable. This can be done through the usage of heavy-duty machinery like agricultural tractors with farm implements that ensure higher yields in terms of export earnings. But due to a lack of government encouragement in recent years, the Fiji farmers have been struggling to transform from traditional farming techniques to modern farming.
Mechanization of agriculture offers several benefits such as reduced dependency on physical power and labor, maximum profitability, riddance of draught animals from farms, and employment opportunities for repair workshops, spare parts dealers, etc.
As the farmers are used to draught animals to perform farming activities, they lack the basic skills required to operate new equipment such as tractors. An awareness program will bring about enhanced productivity through knowledge and adaptation. Hence, farm mechanization is the only way forward to make a remarkable improvement in Fiji’s agriculture sector. It will also encourage the new and young generation to play their part in the agriculture sector of the country and make a dynamic shift in the country’s GDP. Modern farming can prove to be beneficial in many ways, such as:
- Satisfactory preparation of heavier soils
- Timelier land preparation
- Better pest control measures
- A decrease in drudgery
- Avoiding harvesting losses
- Farm labour substitution
- Enhanced economic yields
Currently, only 10% of farms in Fiji use tractors. The government can implement measures to import Massey Ferguson tractors from Pakistan to aid its mechanization policies.
Massey Ferguson tractors along with their diverse farm implements will mechanize the process of farming activities like ploughing, tilling, landscape maintenance, spreading fertilizers, planting fields, etc.
Most farmers around the world choose Massey Ferguson tractors from Pakistan as made available by local tractor dealers in Fiji, as they are a name of quality and a handy agricultural assistant when needed. Its advantages outweigh the costs and guarantee 100% satisfaction by bolstering the yield capacity of farms considerably.
The Massey Ferguson tractors are available for sale at Tractors PK.