Newly tabled figures in Parliament reveal a volatile five-year pattern for Fiji’s rice sector, with national output plunging after a 2022 high before partially recovering in 2024 as the government rolls out targeted measures to stabilise supply and curb imports.
Minister for Public Enterprises Charan Jeath Singh told Parliament the Ministry’s data, provided in response to a question from Opposition Leader Inia Seruiratu, shows national rice production peaked at 13,355.97 tonnes in 2022. Production then fell sharply to 6,724 tonnes in 2023 before rebounding modestly to 8,597.50 tonnes in 2024, underscoring ongoing instability in domestic output. Fiji Rice Limited (FRL), the state-affiliated company at the centre of the industry, mirrored the trend: 1,322 tonnes in 2020, 1,276 tonnes in 2021, a company peak of 1,685 tonnes in 2022, a drop to 1,098 tonnes in 2023 and an increase to 1,301 tonnes in 2024.
Singh said the government and Fiji Rice Limited have introduced a suite of targeted interventions to lift production and reduce reliance on imports. A major plank is mobilising up to 2,500 farmers — prioritising smallholders and new entrants — with a target average supply of one tonne per farmer. If achieved, that mobilisation could add roughly 2,500 tonnes to domestic production.
Support packages announced include distribution of improved seed varieties, mechanised land preparation, harvesting assistance, fertiliser support and agronomic guidance. The government will also introduce performance-based incentives aimed at lifting productivity. At the same time, efforts will focus on scaling up established commercial producers already delivering more than 20 tonnes each, with assessments planned on land capacity, irrigation access, mechanisation and expansion potential.
The data also show FRL’s contribution to national output shifted through the downturn and recovery. FRL’s share of national production rose from about 12.6 percent in 2022 to roughly 16.3 percent in 2023 and remained around 15.1 percent in 2024, reflecting the firm’s comparatively steadier output amid wider sector volatility.
Singh told Parliament that Fiji Rice Limited is working with farmer cooperatives and the iTaukei Land Trust Board to unlock larger contiguous land parcels for rice cultivation, a move aimed at improving economies of scale and enabling mechanisation. The measures are presented as part of a broader strategy to shore up food security by increasing local rice supply and cutting the need for imports.
The newly disclosed figures and the government’s response mark the latest development in a sector showing marked year-to-year fluctuation. Officials emphasise the combination of farmer mobilisation, technical support and land access as critical to stabilising production, but they did not provide a timetable for when the full effects of these initiatives might be realised. The coming seasons will indicate whether the interventions can sustain the modest recovery seen in 2024 and reduce the country’s vulnerability to imported rice supplies.