Caption: Members of the Koronivia Vegetable Farmers’ Cooperative receive their brand-new disc harrow from the Permanent Secretary for Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management, Mr. Isoa Talemaibua, Commissioner Central Division (CCD) Mr. Josefa Navuku, Head of Rural Outer Island (ROI) Development Programme Mr. Mesake Semainaliwa and Provincial Administrator (PA) Rewa Ms. Ruci Daveta.
SUVA – The provision of farming implements to the Koronivia Vegetable Farmers’ Cooperative in Rewa is expected to boost productivity of the 14 farmers who are members of the co-op, and also assist other nearby farmers in Koronivia.
The Koronivia Vegetable Farmers’ Cooperative is one of the first recipients of assistance under the revamped Rural Outer Island (ROI) Development Programme from the Ministry of Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management. Earlier this month, the farmers received their very own brand new 1 x 3 disc plough and 1 x 18 disc harrow from the Permanent Secretary for Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management, Mr. Isoa Talemaibua.
Established in 2010, the Koronivia Vegetable Farmers’ Cooperative have progressed immensely, now comprising Indo-Fijian, iTaukei and Chinese farmers, owning around 150 acres of agricultural land in Koronivia, Rewa. The farmers plant vegetables such as capsicum, sweet corn, eggplant, cucumber, beans, raddish, coriander, zucchini, cabbage, and more. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the farmers used to supply vegetables to a number of supermarkets, however, due to an increase in demand, they now also sell their produce at roadside stalls along Koronivia.
Cooperative member Mr. Satish Kumar has been a member of the cooperative since it was formed. He said over the years, the group had managed to acquire some assistance from Government, with the provision of a brand new tractor most recently through a cost-sharing arrangement under the Integrated Human Resources Development Programme (IHRDP).
“Apart from that, we have only been using some of our very old farming implements which were given to us in 2010 by Government. These farming implements are hired by the cooperative members at a cost which would go into the cooperative funds. Many times, we would face a lot of difficulties with land preparation as these machineries would malfunction due to its shabby condition. But today, we are very fortunate and thankful to the Government for believing in us again to be able to give us this brand new farming implement. This will not only boost our productivity as member farmers, but also contribute to the improvement of living standards for our families,” Mr Kumar said.
The cooperative intends to also generate revenue through the hiring of their new farming implements.
Funded at a cost of more than $12,000, the project is intended to ensure the better utilization of lands by the farmers, enable farmers to meet market demand and improve economic return, promote the reduction of food import, and also improve farm productivity, food security, and awareness on best farming practices.
In handing over the assistance, PS Talemaibua emphasized that the Ministry hoped to see the impact of this assistance in the near future through increased productivity and income amongst the farmers in Koronivia.
“This morning, I’m not here just to do a handover, but to celebrate your achievements as a community and cooperative, and as a representative of your Government, I want to say that we are glad to be able to contribute to your community. We will continue to support and empower Fijians in the rural and maritime communities to utilize their available land for agricultural purposes. The brand-new farming implements, that I will handover today will assist the cooperative members cultivate your land efficiently which will lead to increased productivity and income. The assistance provided will enable Koronivia Farmers’ Cooperative to plant more vegetable varieties through your crop diversification plan. In doing so, the Cooperative is promoting the Government’s initiative to reduce food import bill, promoting healthy living and boost economic activities,” PS Talemaibua highlighted.
The ROI Development Programme was allocated a sum of $2.5m in the current financial year to complement the assistance currently provided to the agriculture, fisheries, forestry, communication, and infrastructure sectors, with the intention to improve living standards through more economic empowerment activities, rural infrastructure, market access, community resilience through Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and risk-informed development, and also promote value-adding activities.
Caption: Members of the Koronivia Vegetable Farmers’ Cooperative receive their brand-new disc harrow from the Permanent Secretary for Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management, Mr. Isoa Talemaibua.
