NANISE NEIMILA
Realising the opportunities and generation of income from the land motivated 60-year-old Unaisi Somakivecena to lease 115 acres of land from her clan.
Originally from Nakorosule, Naitasiri, Mrs Somakivecena has been, for the past three years, planting dalo on the leased land and until today she has never regretted taking this leap of faith of investing in the land that she is reaping the benefits.
“I have been leasing on our mataqali land for the past threeyears with my two other siblings and we have planted dalo on the 115 acre land and we have planted close to 12,000 dalo have been harvested.”
“From the assistance I received under the Seed Fund Grant for iTaukei landowners I will be able to extend my plantation and plant other crops on the land to assist with the current quota.”
Fijian Government, through the iTaukei Land Trust Board (TLTB), provides an opportunity to access Seed Fund Grant for them to participate in any income generating project of their choice and also allow them to work together in facilitating these projects.
Mrs Somakivecena said through this grant it also opens the opportunities for landowners to lease their own land.
“Since the land is located uphill I am planning to request for tree seedlings so that I can plant on the other remaining land because from what I know it will take close to seven years to mature and I will be able to get good returns from them.”
“I also plan to purchase livestock and have them on the land so that we can help in breeding them and later on sell them.”
Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama told landowners that apart from developing their own land, they can also lease their land out for 99-years.