Fiji’s agricultural sector presents significant financial opportunities if properly developed, according to Luke Balenaivalu, a lecturer at the Navuso Agricultural Technical Institute’s Department of Industrial Arts. He highlighted the establishment of two stalls dedicated to showcasing the institute’s three-year farming program.
Mr. Balenaivalu emphasized that the country possesses ample resources, including land, making the institute an ideal place for students to learn. The program includes hydroponic farming techniques aimed at addressing challenges posed by climate change.
Students benefit from land provided by both the Methodist Church and the institute, with approximately five acres available for cultivation. Upon completing the program, students have the option to lease the land they worked on.
According to Mr. Balenaivalu, graduates typically leave the program with around $35,000 in their accounts, accumulated from selling the crops they planted. “This is the only institute that assists students in generating income from their agricultural activities,” he noted, adding that the institution enrolls between 100 and 150 students annually, including about 10 female students.
Second-year student Salanieta Bulivorovoro shared that the farming scheme offers youths a chance to engage in productive activities. She stated that after completing their studies, many students choose to remain at the student farm. Ms. Bulivorovoro aspires to become a veterinarian in the future.