Fiji’s agricultural sector presents significant financial opportunities if managed effectively, according to Luke Balenaivalu, a lecturer at the Navuso Agricultural Technical Institute’s Department of Industrial Arts. He highlighted the establishment of two stalls aimed at promoting the institute’s three-year farming program for students.
Balenaivalu noted that Fiji possesses ample resources, including land, making the institute a practical learning environment. The program incorporates hydroponic farming methods as a response to climate change challenges, offering favorable planting techniques that ensure harvests despite environmental impacts.
The Methodist Church, alongside the institute, provides approximately five acres of land for students to cultivate. Upon completion of the three-year program, students have the option to lease the land they have worked on. Balenaivalu mentioned that graduates typically end up with around $35,000 in their accounts, derived from the sale of crops grown during their studies.
“This institute uniquely empowers students to generate income through their farming efforts,” he stated. Annually, the program enrolls between 100 to 150 students, including around 10 female participants.
Second-year student Salanieta Bulivorovoro expressed that the farming scheme offers young individuals a chance to engage in productive activities. After completing their studies, students typically decide whether to remain at the student farm. Bulivorovoro herself aspires to become a veterinarian in the future.