Project Name：Vegetable Production, Marketing Extension and Capacity Building Project (Fiji)

Project status：Completed projects

Cooperating Country：Asia-Pacific, Fiji

Project Description：

This project is initiated in accordance with Fiji’s 2020 Agriculture Sector Policy Agenda.

The project’s first component, assisting with vegetable production techniques in the Nadarivatu highlands, will upgrade productivity and the quality of vegetables by introducing and selecting suitable crops, and by improving cultivation techniques, as well as raise farmers’ incomes through production and marketing demonstration and extension activities.

The project’s second component, vegetable marketing extension in Sigatoka valley, will create competitive market links by emphasizing seasonal adjustments to production and cropping systems, thereby ensuring the sustainability of the local agricultural sector and of communities living in the area.
The project’s third component, capacity building in vegetable production at Nasinu military farm, will not only assist those at the farm to produce vegetables on site by improving on-farm cultivation and management techniques, but also train soldiers, newly enlisted soldiers, retired and soon-to-be-retired soldiers and their family members, and interns from the University of Fiji in cultivation techniques so that they can engage in farm management upon returning to their home villages.

Linking consistent yields of high-quality vegetables with the demands of the local market is a key agricultural development problem needing to be addressed in Fiji. The problem is influenced by three factors:

1. The need to improve cultivation techniques.
2. Insufficient capacity in marketing extension.
3. The need to build the capacity of human resources.

In order to improve the quality and consistency of vegetable production in Fiji, the main content of this project will include:

1. Assisting with vegetable production techniques in the Nadarivatu highlands.
2. Improving vegetable marketing and extension capacity.
3. Building capacity in agricultural productivity within the military services.
   

The project’s specific work components will include:

1. Setting up Nadarivatu Highland Vegetable Production Research and Development Center and organizing three vegetable production and marketing teams.
2. Establishing a marketing system for the three collection centers in Sigatoka valley, and exploring the market for agricultural produce.
3. Setting up an integrated management farm at Nasinu military farm and training 1,000 soldiers, newly enlisted soldiers, retired and soon-to-be-retired soldiers and their family members, and interns from the University of Fiji .

Implementation Start Date：2015-01-01

Implementation End Date：2019-12-31

Project Objectives：1.Assisting with vegetable production techniques in the Nadarivatu highlands:
a.Set up Nadarivatu Highland Vegetable Production Research and Development Center, and propagate 400,000 healthy seedlings and 10 kinds/varieties of vegetables through adaption trials.
b.Organize three vegetable production and marketing teams, establish nine demonstration plots and promote vegetable production over 18 hectares.
c.Hold 15 vegetable production workshops, five field trips and develop standard operating procedures (SOP) for production and marketing so as to build human resources capacity.
2.Vegetable marketing extension in Sigatoka valley:
a.Guide three collection centers in marketing 520 tons of produce (produced at the 55 hectare farm), generating links to export agents and/or supermarkets.
b.Demonstrate year-round cultivation over 10 hectares, producing 1,000,000 healthy seedlings at Sigatoka Demonstration Farm.
c.Hold 25 vegetable production workshops, four marketing extension field trips and five agricultural shows.
3.Capacity building in vegetable production at Nasinu military farm:
a.Establish an integrated management farm, producing 300,000 vegetable and flower seedlings, demonstrating vegetable and flower cultivation over 10 hectares .
b.Train five officers to serve as farm managers and provide technical training to 1,000 soldiers, newly enlisted soldiers, retired and soon-to-be-retired soldiers and their family members, and interns from the University of Fiji .

Executing Agency：1.Taiwan Technical Mission in Fiji
2.Ministry of Agriculture (Fiji)
3.Ministry of Defense (Fiji)

Projected Benefits：It is expected that the project will:
1.Vegetable production techniques in the Nadarivatu highlands: This project component will involve the establishment of the Highland Vegetable Production Research and Development Center, the propagation of 400,000 healthy seedlings and adaption trials for 10 kinds/varieties of vegetables; the organization of three vegetable production and marketing teams, the organization of nine demonstration plots and the extension of vegetable production over 18 hectares; and the organization of 15 vegetable production workshops and five field trips, and the development of production and marketing SOP.
2.Vegetable marketing extension in Sigatoka valley: This project component will involve guiding three collection centers in marketing 520 tons of produce (produced at the 55 hectare farm), generating links to export agents and/or supermarkets; the year-round demonstration of cultivation over 10 hectares and the production of 1,000,000 healthy seedlings at Sigatoka Demonstration Farm; and the organization of 25 vegetable production workshops, four marketing extension field trips and five agricultural shows.
3.Capacity building in vegetable production at Nasinu military farm: This project component will involve the establishment of an integrated management farm producing 300,000 vegetable and flower seedlings, demonstrating vegetable and flower cultivation over 10 hectares ; and the training of five officers as farm managers and the provision of technical training to 1,000 soldiers, newly enlisted soldiers, retired and soon-to-be-retired soldiers and their family members, and interns from the University of Fiji.

Mission：Taiwan Technical Mission in the Republic of Fiji