India sends fruit, vegetable seeds to cyclone-hit Fiji as grant assistance

The first tranche of a consignment of nearly seven tonnes of agricultural seeds from India reached Nadi, Fiji on Tuesday, the Indian High Commission in Fiji said. It said the gesture underlined Indias commitment to provide humanitarian assistance to partners in the Indo-Pacific region despite the challenges posed by the pandemic. The consignment carried 14 varieties of fruit and vegetable seeds as requested by the government of Fiji for restoration of the livelihood of communities affected by tropical cyclone Yasa, the officials said. India and Fiji share friendly ties based on mutual cooperation in a range of areas and strong people-to-people links.

In a gesture of friendship, India has sent a consignment of nearly seven tonnes of agricultural seeds to Fiji as grant assistance for the restoration of the livelihood of communities affected by a tropical cyclone, officials said on Wednesday.

The consignment was airlifted from India and was transported to Fiji via Sydney, they said. ''The first tranche of a consignment of nearly seven tonnes of agricultural seeds from India reached Nadi, Fiji on Tuesday,'' the Indian High Commission in Fiji said.

It said the gesture underlined India's commitment to providing humanitarian assistance to partners in the Indo-Pacific region despite the challenges posed by the pandemic.

The consignment carried 14 varieties of fruit and vegetable seeds as requested by the government of Fiji for restoration of the livelihood of communities affected by tropical cyclone Yasa, the officials said.

India and Fiji share friendly ties based on cooperation in a range of areas and strong people-to-people links. The two countries have historical and cultural links.

In January 2021, India provided disaster relief assistance to Fiji in the immediate aftermath of cyclone Yasa. Earlier, India made a donation of agricultural seeds to Fiji to support the communities affected by tropical cyclone Winston in 2016.

India's links with Fiji started in 1879 when Indian laborers were taken to the island nation under an indenture system to work on sugarcane plantations. Between 1879 and 1916, an estimated 60,000 Indians were brought to Fiji. Beginning with the early 20th century, Indian traders and others also started arriving in Fiji.

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