The Minister for Agriculture and Waterways, Vatimi Rayalu, has praised 45 members of the Nalagi clan in Nadi for their entrepreneurial efforts. Last week, he presented the Ratu Naevo Co-operative, based in Nawaka Village and established in 2021, with a new solis tractor.
Rayalu highlighted the co-operative’s commitment to sustainable livelihoods, emphasizing their role in ensuring food security for the local community before supplying to nearby hotels and markets. The co-operative covered one-third of the tractor’s total cost, with the rest funded by the Ministry of Agriculture and Waterways through its Farm Mechanisation Program.
The Ratu Naevo Co-operative aims to utilize their mataqali land for agriculture in response to the growing population in the village. They plan to engage in large-scale mechanized farming on 37 acres of land in Nawiwi, Namulomulo. Ratu Joeli Bulu Derenalagi, the Taukei Nalagi and Momo na Tui Nawaka, accepted the tractor keys on behalf of the co-operative.