Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka at the opening of a new rice mill in Ba yesterday [Source: Fiji Government/Facebook]

Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka envisions a tourism industry that will serve meals to tourists containing a majority of local delicacies.

The Prime Minister made the comment at the opening of a new rice mill in Ba yesterday.

Rabuka says offering local meals will align well with the other attractions Fiji offers to its tourists.

He says that over the years, large sums of money have been spent to import food for hotels and the tourism industry as a whole.

“Why should we serve Americans and Australians their own meals when they come to Fiji? Why can’t we produce what we serve in our homes for them, so while they enjoy the Fiji weather, the Fiji beaches, and the seas, they also have our Fijian delicacies on their tables in our world-class resorts?”

Rabuka further says that he is proud that Fiji Rice Limited now carries the Fiji Made logo, which promotes Fijian-made products.

He hopes that with opportunities to grow more rice, Fiji will be able to cater to its own demand for rice while also exporting Fijian-produced rice to the world.

The Prime Minister urges Fijians to buy locally grown products as a means of supporting local farmers and farming communities, ultimately reducing the country’s import bill.