Fruit and vegetable farmers engaged in the export trade in Fiji will be given a helping hand in the form of a stimulus package from Nadi-based fresh produce treatment plant, Nature's Way Cooperative Ltd.
Chief executive officer Michael Brown said it was critical growers were given a hand up in the wake of three consecutive weather events — dry weather spells in 2014 and last year, Severe Tropical Cyclone Winston in February and the floods two weeks ago.
"We are in discussions with donor agencies like the European Union," Mr Brown said.
"We are going to work together with our exporters to ensure that fresh produce growers are given all the support they need.
"We have put forward a proposal to help exporters by subsidising treatment costs for export products.
"We are going to give our exporters seedlings for them to distribute to the farms where they source produce.
"Nature's Way believes this is the best and most effective way to stimulate quick recovery from the recent natural disasters."
Mr Brown said a lot of exporters had become disheartened because of a slump in supply.
Nature's Way Cooperative (Fiji) Ltd (NWC) was formed in 1995 to undertake mandatory quarantine treatment on behalf of Fiji's fruit export industry.
