On top of the World
10-Feb-2010
Through the most trying times in his life, 49-year-old Elia Tinaviti of Navunisole Village in Tailevu never gave up hope on farming for a living.
Navunisole Village is about five minutes drive from Korovou Town in Tailevu and is a part of the Tikina of Namalata.
The village has about 50 houses and its children either attend school in Korovou or attend the district school at Namalata.
From his young days, Elia was a passionate believer in greater achievements and never once did he give up on his studies at school, even though he admitted he was an average student.
“I was never top of my class but that did not stop me from shining in my woodwork lessons in school,” he smiled.
After leaving school, Elia started blending in with the older youths in the village who were into carpentry and were building houses in the village for new families that were moving in.
“I decided to put my skills to good use and at the same time I learnt more on carpentry works.”
After a few years, Elia started a new family and had to look for more opportunities at earning a living.
“I was farming as well but it was always on a subsistence level and I knew that the time had come for me to move a step up and enter the world of farming as a business,” said Elia.
As the years wore on, Elia grew attached to his farm and he would always be found on his farm from Monday to Saturday.
“I walk up to my farm at about 5am when the sun is still trying to peep over the clouds and this usually takes an hour as my farm is situated far from the village.”
Elia started planting yaqona on a commercial basis as he saw other farmers in the village doing the same.
“Yaqona farming was quite a task for me and then I thought to myself that since it takes two to three years to mature, I should also move into planting another crop for short term returns,” he explained.
Elia decided to expand his dalo farm from subsistence to semi-commercial level so that his family was not deprived of fresh and healthy food from the farm.
“I began selling at the roadside in Korovou Town and it went well for me which is why I started expanding my dalo farm one day at a time.”
Elia realised that not only was dalo farming raking in a lot of cash, but it only took nine months to mature.
The whole idea of entering the commercial side of farming kept crossing his mind and Elia believed that he could achieve this even though he was not at all that bright in keeping up with the business side of things.
Elia grew from strength to strength and within the first few years since beginning his dalo farm and operating on a semi-commercial basis, he knew that he had achieved the first step of success.
With earnings from his farm, Elia managed to put his five children through school and giving them the best he knew that he could afford.
Elia never regretted his decision of entering the dalo business and knew that it was time he shared his good fortune with his fellow villagers.
“All that was left for me was to try out farming dalo on a commercial basis and I knew that I had to work hard and step up on my production levels.
“I was determined from the very start and the more I thought about it, the more the idea became appealing and that was when Elia gathered a group of farmers from the village to start their own farming group.
“It was formed with the aim of selling our dalo to the export markets and I knew that in order to do this, there would have to be a more concerted effort from all involved.
The group was formed in 2009 with the assistance of the Agriculture Department in Korovou whereby they were given advice and technical components of farming for business.
Senior Agriculture Assistant (Sawakasa/Naloto), Nimilote Waqabaca said that the initiative to start their own group was much welcomed and they rendered all the support that they could give to the group.
Now operating as the Navunisole Dalo Co-operative, 32 members ranging from 20-60 years old have been vigorously planting on their individual farms in a bid to increase dalo production in the village so that they can prepare themselves for the export markets.
The group still practices the traditional way of planting that is the ‘solesolevaki’ method whereby farmers all help out on a person’s farm and they keep rotating till everybody’s farm in the group or community is on par with the rest.
“We were often reminded in our monthly meetings in the village hall that we must not wait for help to come, but we should help ourselves first and it indeed paid off,” he said.
The group worked tirelessly on their farms and breathed a sigh of relief when word came to them that their project proposal had been approved by Government.
The group was fortunate to be recipients of Government’s assistance through its Rural and Outer Island Programme.
Waqabaca says that the group had met all the requirements regarding the assistance and believes that the group will go far in their agricultural commercial venture.
“I guess after working hard day and night, our prayers were answered and help came in the form of dalo suckers, chemicals, knapsack sprayers and fertilizer all worth $38,000.
Dalo suckers were transported and distributed to farmers in the group by November last year and they wasted no time in planting as land preparations were already done.
Elia says that the enthusiasm for planting has grown stronger after the group secured the Agricultural Marketing Authority (AMA) of Fiji as their main market.
“AMA officials will come to our individual farms to buy our dalo and the prices at the moment are satisfactory for all of us,” explained Elia.
AMA is buying their Maleka Dina variety at 90 cents a kilogram and their Tausala variety at $1.60 per kilogram.
Activities on the farm have been bustling day in and day out and the members are all playing their part to ensure that they meet their market.
The proud farmer says that he even sent two of his children abroad to visit relatives and this was all through money earned from the farm.
“If we put our hearts and minds into whatever we do, the results will surprise us and my farm has brought so many miracles into the lives of my family,” smiled Elia proudly.
Elia says that the individual group members have been doing really well and they are anticipating a good harvest as well come their next harvesting period.
“What makes it easier for us is that we have been planting our dalo in phases and this is to ensure that there is continuity in the supply to meet the demands set by our buyer,”
explained Elia.
“Farming has boosted our efforts further and we are determined to continue farming and developing our village,” he added.
The Navunisole Dalo Co-operative is setting their sights on exporting overseas in the next three years and they have been receiving expert advice and technical visits by the agriculture officials in Tailevu.
The long term objective of ROI is to enhance the livelihoods of people in the rural areas and outer islands of Fiji and its immediate purpose is to increase market access opportunities and services that will enable beneficiaries in the rural areas and outer islands to exploit those opportunities.
According to Waqabaca, the group has been working tirelessly and sometimes when facing obstacles they would never complain but took it as a stepping stone to other greater things.
“It is also an experience for me as they have been planting for years now and it is what they are gifted with, so to be working alongside them, I can say is an honour,” said Waqabaca.
“It is indeed wealth from the land and I hope that the younger generation will see for themselves the benefits of using the land wisely as a source of income in the coming years,” added Elia.
The members are still doing what they love best and that is farming to help them break out of the grips of poverty and create better lives for their loved ones.
As for Elia, it is a dream come true and for someone who did not top his class in school, Elia is certainly feeling on top of the world with his farming achievements which has been providing all the basic needs for his family.
Kuini Waqasavou- Ministry of Primary Industries |
