AGEING FARMERS in Fiji and the Pacific

Need for Youths Getting their Hands Dirty

Youths should be motivated towards taking up a career in Agriculture rather burdens the older generation whom have been feeding the Pacific for ages. In the Pacific, Farming is regarded as a last option after all other options fail. I have heard retirees who have started farming after retirement that they only wished they knew then what they know now. 

Their is a future in agriculture but its awareness and campaign hasn't been widespread to penetrate the minds of youths. The industry is without role models to substantiate claims that its a far more rewarding career than it appears.

To achieve zero hunger and no poverty by 2030, the world will need to focus more on agriculture. Although it is the mainstay of many developing economies, agriculture continues to employ mainly older members of the population, while most young people are migrating to urban areas in search of alternative sources of income.

Although it demands hard work, youths are rarely enticed to it and often resort for menial jobs overthinking their access to acres of land. Youths have their own reasons but it doesn't undermine the fact that its an ideal option under current unemployment trends. 

Even at organisation leadership levels their is still an ad-lip that agriculture is the last option. I heard from a leader of a farmer organisation in the Pacific that he regards it likewise. This mentality by influential people are part of this plague and needs attention by passionate farmers like me in the Pacific.

We need to fight this in the years ahead continually so that there is food security in the Pacific
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Agronet Fiji is committed to campaign for increased interest and active involvement of youths in agriculture so the next generation of Farmers are developed locally with specific emphases on indigenous communities. This global issue faced in Fiji is also evident among other Pacific Islanders and as an advocate for agriculture, our organisation is creating innovative ways and mechanisms so as to gain the interest among youths. With our neighbors Australia, the median age of Farmers is 53years old and would be roughly the same with us here in Fiji.

With the Export market growing exponentially with certain crops, the future of investing in agriculture is promising. Take for instance "Dalo" which is one of the top agricultural commodity exported. One of Fiji's exporter BEN'S TRADING supplies pink taro to Woolworths Supermarkets in Australia. This chain of supermarkets has over 900 stores and only 10 is currently being supplied by Bens Trading.