Cabinet has approved the new approach to increase the use of local vegetables in hotels and resorts after receiving a submission from the Primary Industries Minister, Joketani Cokanasiga.

The aim of the new approach is to begin formal trading between farmers and hotel operators where farmers will be trained by the agriculture extension staff to produce selected quality fruits and vegetables, and middlemen will be used to fulfill the orders by purchasing from the selected farmers.

Twenty farmers in the lower Sigatoka valley will be selected to sell high quality vegetables and once they are able to operate with minimum input, other farmers will be recruited.

Meanwhile traders have been told to watch what food products they import in the country after the Food Legislation was Gazetted.

Health Minister Dr Neil Sharma said they have organised a National Food Summit in October, where all the importers, exporters, traders, health and Agriculture Ministry officials will take part in.

He said they will discuss the topic of food production, consumption, food safety and what type of food products are imported into the country.