Fiji’s agricultural potential is being highlighted as a financial opportunity if effectively cultivated, according to Luke Balenaivalu, a lecturer at the Navuso Agricultural Technical Institute’s Department of Industrial Arts.
Balenaivalu noted that two stalls have been established to showcase the institute’s three-year farming program for students. He emphasized the abundance of resources, including land, available to students at the institute.
The program includes hydroponic farming techniques, which are particularly important in light of climate change. “There are specific planting practices that enable harvesting even with the challenges posed by climate change,” Balenaivalu explained.
The Methodist Church, in collaboration with the institute, provides approximately five acres of land for students to utilize during their studies. After the completion of the program, students have the option to lease the land they have worked on.
Balenaivalu shared that graduates typically leave with about $35,000, representing earnings from the crops they cultivated. He added, “This is the only institute that assists students in earning money through the sale of their crops.”
The institute enrolls between 100 and 150 students annually, with around 10 of them being female. Second-year student Salanieta Bulivorovoro described the farming scheme as a valuable opportunity for youth to participate in productive endeavors.
Upon graduating, students will have the option to determine their next steps, although many choose to remain at the student farm. Bulivorovoro aims to pursue a career as a veterinarian in the future.