Nine individual farmers and 5 farming clusters from the Western Division have pioneered the Ministry of Agriculture’s Land Clearing Programme.

They received their offer letters today for the commencement of land clearing works to be conducted on their unutilised land, which will be fully funded through the Land Clearing Programme.

Officiating at the handing over ceremony today at the Nailaga Depot, in Ba, Minister for Agriculture, Waterways and Environment Hon. Dr. Mahendra Reddy said identifying the binding constraints that hindered agriculture growth and addressing them continued to be a priority item for the Ministry to settle.

He said concrete action was needed to achieve a higher degree of sustainability that allowed for more resilient farming systems and pathways, with the understanding and identification of binding constraints being an important component that needed resolving first.

“We’re here because we have singled out one of these binding constraints – access to arable land which has been left idle for far too long.

“Today, you are the pioneering lot of farmers, whose land has been identified as suitable for cultivation under our Land Clearing Programme,” he said.

“Be it as an individual or as a cluster, you have successfully met the criteria in this programme and the Ministry will assign our resources to immediately clear uncultivated, overgrown land which has been left unattended,” added Minister Reddy.

Minister Reddy also acknowledged the recipients for taking up the challenge to bring their under-utilised land under agriculture, as they had done right by themselves and their communities.

For Mr. Joveci Qalilolo of Lewa Village, Savatu in the highlands of Nadarivatu, who plants yaqona, dalo and other root crops on 200 acres of his mataqali land said his family lived off of farming but his plans of expansion were hindered by overgrown parcels of land on the boundary of his farm.

“I am very fortunate to receive this assistance because it will help me expand my farm and it will help to generate more income for my family, and my village because now my land will be cleared and I can grow more on my land,” he said.

“The area I applied to have cleared can only be done by heavy machinery, to clear it by hand is a big ask of me and I thank the Ministry for this programme because it will help me develop my farm and help my family,” said Mr. Qalilolo.

Under this first phase of the Land Clearing Programme for the Western Division, a total land of 14 sites with an acreage of 38.5acres is expected to be cleared and prepared to be brought under agriculture.

The Land Clearing Programme is designed to lead “Idle Land Development”, and has a total provision of $500K and will see to the immediate clearing of these uncultivated and soon to be formerly unutilised land.  

A total of 7 farmers from Ba, 3 from Nadroga/Navosa and 4 farmers from Ra were handed their offer letters today with works to be conducted on their respective farms in the coming weeks.

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