Picture: Minister for Agriculture, Waterways and Environment Hon. Dr. Mahendra Reddy with a farmer from Ovalau.

The support of traditional leaders and community elders in advancing the progress of youth participation in agriculture is imperative for the sector.

This was the plea made by Minister for Agriculture, Waterways and Environment Hon. Dr. Mahendra Reddy to elders of Ovalau recently as he requested traditional leaders too to support the progression of their young farmers towards commercial agriculture. 

"I want to request and suggest that small islands in the maritime division like Ovalau, they need to step up and be part of the national movement of expanding and growing agriculture. I want to urge all the leaders, and all Mataqali members who are endowed with one of the most critical and crucial inputs or factors of production, land, to put it to good and full use.

"If the resource is not utilized to its best, or used fully and sustainably, then the loss is to the people, the members of the vanua, your own children will be the losers. Those leaders who are not allowing the full utilization of the land, those leaders who are not using the resources in a sustainable manner to its full capacity, they are doing an injustice to their people," stressed Minister Reddy.

He reiterated that there were bright young women and men who wanted to engage in commercial agriculture but unfortunately, the communal system was used to prevent them from engaging in commercial agriculture, and as a result, the entire village and island community remained stagnant, with little to no room allowed for the growth of young, educated and bright minded people to engage in commercial agriculture.

"Now the reason why that is happening is because our leaders are still not able to comprehend that the communal system is not allowing for the creation of surplus which could be liquidated for the advancement of their people.

Meanwhile, for 59-year-old Vatimi Druguta of Nukutocia Village, Ovalau who received his offer letter for the small farming equipment programme said the time for farmers to stand up was now.

“We need to try our best to meet the export market and meet the demands from our local markets too, Government is always on hand to assist us, and the only bit that remains is for farmers to fill that void,” he said.

“Here on Ovalau, there is always a shortage of vegetables and I want to challenge my fellow farmers to take up commercial agriculture because for us who live in rural and maritime communities, I believe it’s about time that we take up commercial agriculture and strive to realize the potential that lies in agriculture,” said Mr. Druguta.

 -Ends-

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