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By Kuini Waqasavou- Ministry of Primary Industries Five acres of farming land sounds like a lot of work for many, but for professional farmer, 46-year-old Satish Chandra, it is not enough as he needs more to expand his already thriving vegetable farm. Moving into Lakena, Nausori after his lease had expired in 2006, Satish set up his farm straight away believing that he could beat all odds to make a decent living for his family. “I believed that time was not on my side so I had to do everything possible to get my farming venture started,” he said. With his four children already attending tertiary institutes and his youngest still in secondary, Satish decided that with his newly purchased land, there was no place for him in the workforce but to return to the call of the land. “I had nothing better to do other than farming as I had been practicing it my whole life back in Daku, Labasa.” So without further adieu, Satish got down to serious business and started his successful journey as a farmer in Lakena. With the amount of work that had to be done, Satish decided to go and see the experts on farming and sought the assistance of the agriculture office in Lakena. “Thankfully I could just walk from my home and seek advice, so that is what I have been doing for the past few months and it has really paid off for me,” he smiled. Agriculture Assistant (Lakena/Tokatoka), Sujendra Prakash says that farmers in the vicinity have been hardworking and most of them that moved from the northern division after their leases expired, have worked extra hard to earn their income. “We are grateful at the station that they come by to visit us and seek our assistance because we are only too happy to serve them and help them get back to their feet,” he added. Satish was assisted with land preparation and seeds with which to start his vegetable farm.
“The land in my farm was often bogged down with mud and water so with the assistance from the Agriculture Department, my land was cleared and drains were dug up to allow free flow of water during the rainy season.” Also starting a small poultry farm, Satish’s small venture is slowly starting to materialise before his eyes and he is enjoying every minute of his farming journey. “It’s amazing to see what we can achieve through hard work,” he smiled. Satish now has a farm filled with vegetables of all varieties like cabbage, tomatoes, chillies, eggplant, coriander, French bean, long bean and many others. “I plant in both the main and off-season of vegetable farming and I get a lot of money from both,” he smiled. Satish decided that he had to do other things to compliment his poultry farm, so that is where he decided to take up livestock farming as well and bought a few goats and pigs. “It’s quite a worthwhile business and I know that given a few more years, I could be the best around.” He practically spends his whole day on the farm and says that there is just a lot of work to do around the farm and time is of great essence. “Wasting time is losing money and I can’t afford that right now!” he smiled. With his five acres of land already filled with vegetables of all kinds, Satish has decided to expand into greener pastures and is working on buying another piece of land adjacent to his. “The sky is the limit and I am doing everything I can to expand my farming venture,” he said. Satish admits that money earned from his farm is more than the $70 - $80 weekly income that he was earning in the sugar-cane fields in the North. “I have to admit that vegetable farm is not hard work at all, but all it needs is timeliness and everything will run smoothly.” Satish is grateful for the support that he gets from his friends and family and says that nothing would have been possible without them. “I have to admit that at times, I have tried giving up altogether but then again I get words of encouragement from my wife and children and I know that everything is going to be alright,” he beamed proudly. Satish looks forward to the rising of the sun every morning because he knows that a lot of work awaits him on the farm. “Marketing is not a problem for me as I supply my vegetables to the Nausori Market so as far as I am concerned, I have to keep on supplying to the market on a regular basis.” “I hope that people around the country will realise the importance of farming and take it seriously as it is a source of food security and a means to earning money.” “I know of a few friends who have left farming completely because they have entered the workforce but I would not want that to happen to me as I am satisfied with what the land is rewarding me with,” he smiled. Satish is still working hard on his farm and says that he will continue as long as he is breathing. ENDS |
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