What we do
The Pacific Islands Rural and Agriculture Stimulus Facility (PIRAS) supports COVID-19 food system and economic recovery by prioritizing food self-reliance, improving local nutrition and
developing sustainable, equitable agricultural livelihood
opportunities for rural communities.
In Fiji, PIRAS works in 70 villages across three provinces in Fiji’s Western Division of Viti Levu: Ba, Naitasiri and Nadroga-Navosa. PIRAS supports food production, post-harvest handling and market access by:
✓ Providing farmers with seedlings, planting materials, tools,
agricultural inputs and post-harvest processing equipment
✓ Providing technical training in growing vegetables, seed and
seedling production, pest and diseases control, soil conservation, post-harvest handling, and business and financial management
✓ Establishing nurseries and demonstration plots
✓ Strengthening existing linkages for processing and domestic and export markets, including the promotion of e-commerce
✓ Facilitating partnerships between vulnerable farmers and small and medium enterprises
Upcoming Priorities
The National team is currently reflecting on and internalizing the lessons from the first year of implementation to fine-tune detailed upcoming activities. The project aims to leverage synergies with other Pacific organizations like The Pacific Community (SPC) and establish linkages with ongoing initiatives like DFAT’s Market Development Facility. Year two will likely include more technical support for farmers in the form of training and increased coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture on extension services.
Partners
✓ Fiji Ministry of Agriculture
✓ Pacific Island Farmers Organisation Network
✓ Asian Farmers Association
✓ Rise Beyond the Reef
✓ Partners in Community Development Fiji