A new rice mill facility in Fiji, valued at over $400,000 and donated by the Chinese government, was officially inaugurated in Nailaga, Ba, on Saturday.
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka, who officiated the event, expressed his gratitude to Chinese Ambassador to Fiji Zhou Jian for attending the opening and for the Chinese government’s continued generosity toward Fiji.
“With Fiji Rice Ltd (FRL) currently operating its sole mill in Vanua Levu, the board viewed this as an ideal time to establish another mill on the mainland,” he said.
“This initiative seeks to encourage farmers in Viti Levu to participate in rice cultivation.”
Mr. Rabuka emphasized that the new mill demonstrates FRL’s dedication to the community by providing milling services closer to rural farmers in Viti Levu.
“The mill has been updated with the latest machinery, allowing it to process 10 tonnes of paddy daily.”
“To further assist farmers, FRL will offer free transportation of the paddy from their farms to the mill.”
“There are currently 92 farmers engaged in rice farming from the Ba area to Rakiraki.”
“I am optimistic that with the operations of this new mill, rice production will continue to increase.”
“May I remind everyone and the people of Fiji to keep purchasing locally grown, ‘Fiji-made’ rice, along with other products grown and made in Fiji, to support our local industry and farmers.”
“Let’s work towards becoming more self-sufficient and enhancing our food security.”