FOOD security for the people of Vanua Levu will remain paramount in the midst of food processing investment opportunities.
Commissioner Northern Lieutenant Colonel Ilai Moceica said interests had been received from foreign investors to process food like cassava, banana leaves and dalo for export markets.
He said the investment opportunity was great and government would facilitate in assisting interested investors. However, he said the local communities would need to ensure their food supplies for families were not affected as people would get attracted to supply also for the export market.
"Whenever there is a market for farmers to sell cassava to for the export market, everyone plants for that purpose first," Lt-Col Moceica said. "So this can also affect supply for family meals like cassava and we need to make sure that food security is intact for the local people," he said. He added that government would work with the locals in ensuring food security remained a priority. Lt-Col Moceica said foreign investors had enquired about the north and options of setting up businesses. "We also have interested investors who want to set up hydro schemes in the north and supply electricity to areas where the Fiji Electricity Authority don't cover," he said. "Development is the best thing happening in Vanua Levu now like the $87million road construction at Buca Bay, the upcoming project to tarseal the Dreketi Nabouwalu roads and the $13.5million electrification project from Seaqaqa to Dreketi," he said.
He said government had done a lot for the people of Vanua Levu under the Look North Policy.