The Ministry of Agriculture and Waterways will continue to encourage and motivate youths across Fiji to engage in agriculture and help to grow the sector.

In Serea, Naitasiri, a young farmer has been creating ripples in the nearby villages and settlements as he strives to be an excellent farmer like his father.

30-year-old Raynil Kumar scooped the Young Farmer of the Year Award in the 2023 National Agriculture Show and believes that he can win more awards in the future- not for recognition but for motivation and encouragement.

The farmer- still a bachelor, has taken over the management of the farm from his elderly father and looks after 28 hectares of agriculture lease with flatland topography.

After attaining his Degree in Banking and Finance, he joined the workforce for four years but decided to follow his heart.

“I was always a farmer at heart whilst growing up. I used to follow my father to the farm and knew what to do without being taught. I learnt everything through practical sessions," he smiled.

"I wanted to honour my parents wish for me to attain higher education, but deep down in my heart, I knew that I was going to return to farming."

Being faced with challenges of high agro-input , high labour cost and un-utilised potential land due to water logging, Raynil chose to stay focused in improving production and opted to continue using organic manure.

"As soon as I returned to the farm, I put my heart and soul into it. It has been a point of no return for me as I now enjoy the fruits of my labour," he added.

Raynil had also engaged in dairy and ginger farming in his early days but says that he will now concentrate on dalo farming.

"I am grateful to the Ministry of Agriculture and Waterways for the advice, monitoring visits and of course the assistance that I have received. It has certainly boosted my farm."

The Ministry assisted him with land preparation works on his other farm which was unutilised due to flooding.

"I faced a lot of difficulties with my second farm as it was always bogged with water during the rainy season and I had to abandon it for awhile. I approached the Ministry and they assisted me with drainage works as well as land preparation through the Outsource Programme. I paid half of the costs of operation works whilst the Ministry paid the other half," he explained.

Raynil practices phase planting to ensure that his supply to the export market is not hindered.

"I am on the farm everyday from 6am and the most busiest time is during planting, weeding and harvesting. So basically, farming is a full time job and requires my dedication."

The determined farmer says that he will continue to expand his farm to ensure that his produce continues to penetrate the overseas markets.

"I have been supplying to Ben Traders and it truly is satisfying to know that the dalo that I planted here in Fiji will end up at a family table overseas. That was the target all along. I will continue to push myself and see where this journey takes me," he smiled.

He purchased a new tractor for land preparation and inter-row cultivation and provided a proper farm house for his labourers.

He has been a good role model as he built relations with the nearby villagers. He learnt the language and ate the same food and to this day, he continues to play a pivotal role in engaging with other farmers and sharing knowledge and of course his assistance.

“We really need to utilise the land. There is so much abundant land which has been unutilized over the years and yet we have so many young people leaving our shores for what they say, for 'greener pastures'."

"We have so much available resources around us. We just need to knock on the right doors and start full throttle ahead. I can confidently say that farmers are the richest people on earth."

"I encourage my peers to invest in farming. You will have teething problems at first but please dedicate yourself and never give up. That is what I am doing now and I truly believe that farming will definitely alleviate poverty and help us to secure food and income security," added Raynil.

The Ministry will continue to conduct trainings and awareness sessions across the country in a bid to encourage more agricultural activities and supporting and linking farmers through a market-based approach.

-ENDS-

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