Suva: India has handed over 12 agricultural drones to Fiji Sugar Corporation (FSC), providing a technology boost to Fiji’s sugar industry and reinforcing cooperation between the two countries in agriculture and capacity-building.

India’s High Commissioner to Fiji, Suneet Mehta, formally handed over the drones to Fiji’s Minister for Agriculture, Waterways and Sugar Industry, Tomasi Tunabuna, in Lautoka. The equipment has been gifted by the Government of India to Fiji Sugar Corporation and is intended to support more efficient, technology-enabled and sustainable sugarcane production.

The handover fulfils a commitment announced during the visit of Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka to New Delhi in August 2025. The initiative adds a new technological dimension to India’s longstanding engagement with Fiji’s agricultural and sugar sectors.

In a post on X, the Indian High Commission in Fiji said the handover reflected the “longstanding and multifaceted India–Fiji partnership in agriculture and the sugar sector”. India’s assistance has included seeds, mobile soil-testing laboratories and specialised training for Fijian sugarcane farmers at the National Sugar Institute in Kanpur under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme.

The High Commission said the drones would support greater efficiency, technological adoption and sustainability in Fiji’s sugarcane production. It added that India remained committed to working with Fiji on agricultural innovation, productivity and resilience, while supporting Fijian farmers and communities.

The latest initiative comes amid wider engagement between the two countries across agriculture, health, trade, business, economic cooperation and natural resources.

WIDER COOPERATION

On September 8, High Commissioner Mehta met Fiji’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Industries, Commerce, Business Development and Public Enterprises, Manoa Kamikamica. Their discussions covered cooperation in agriculture, health, trade, business and economic affairs, among other areas of mutual interest.

The Indian High Commission said the meeting provided an opportunity to discuss further cooperation across the “longstanding and multifaceted India–Fiji partnership”.

India’s engagement with Fiji has also extended to the mineral sector. In August, Mehta met Fiji’s Minister of Land and Mineral Resources, Filimoni Vosarogo, for discussions on cooperation in minerals, capacity-building and bilateral engagement.

The agricultural drones therefore form part of a broader pattern of India-Fiji cooperation, combining technology transfer with training, institutional capacity-building and practical support for sectors central to Fiji’s economy and communities.