Anare Saruicava fondly remembers his childhood spent watching his father sell root crops at the Suva market during the 1970s. Now in his late 60s and a retired member of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces, Saruicava has maintained a passion for farming that began early in life, despite his military career.
“My family has been involved in farming for about 54 to 70 years, dating back to when my father was still growing root crops,” he shared. “We were one of the first iTaukei families to sell yaqona at the old Suva market in 1970. At that time, I was still a student and would help my father sell coconuts at the market.”
Saruicava now operates a farm in Namacu village, Koro, where he cultivates kava and dalo, among other root crops. His farming experience has been complemented by a lengthy military career spanning 35 years, during which he participated in several missions, including a significant three-year deployment in Lebanon.
After retiring at 65, Saruicava chose to return to his village with his family. “My initial dalo harvest yielded about three tons, which brought in approximately $7,000,” he said. “Now, I harvest dalo weekly for shipment to Suva, and once that is done, I’ll focus on yaqona. I also grow other vegetables and crops.”
He noted that the current market price for yaqona is around $90 per kilo, while other crops can fetch $100. However, purchasing directly from Koro can lower the price to about $50 per kilo. Saruicava emphasized that commercial farming is often more complicated than many perceive.
“Farming requires investment, and forming partnerships is beneficial. It’s challenging to manage one or two acres on your own,” he explained. “The key in our village is teamwork, which leads to better yields. We typically plant in hilly areas and transport crops down to the village before sending them to the port.”
The journey from his village to the farm takes Saruicava around 45 minutes. He highlighted the difficulty that poor access roads present to farmers on Koro who travel daily to their fields. “The main issue we face is the condition of our farm roads. Improving them would allow us to increase our crop production.”
While rainy weather can create good planting conditions for some farmers, others don’t favor it. “COVID-19 affected us, but we continued to cultivate our crops and hoped for the best,” he recalled.
Saruicava encourages the public to take up farming initiatives to support their families financially. “Start planting, even on a small scale. People may underestimate farmers, but we provide a reliable income,” he said. “I have successfully supported my family, and we should appreciate what we have.”