The newly-improved Sevaci-Korotasere Road in Cakaudrove has made travelling so much easier for villagers and especially farmers who live along the road and in nearby areas.
The Fiji Roads Authority has highlighted that the road stretches for 41 kilometres and directly benefits 500 people who live in the area not including others who access this route to get to the Natewa Peninsula or to Labasa.
Some of these beneficiaries are yaqona farmers of Balawaviriki who are originally from the district of Tawake in Udu Point but have moved there for farming purposes.
It is understood that because of the lack of arable land back in their area, their elders made a traditional agreement with the landowners back in the day that allowed their descendants to farm on Balawaviriki to this day. One of these farmers, Waisea Rokocati, 57, said prior to the road improvement, the farmers used to have a lot of issues when it comes to transporting their produce to the market.
“We used to carry our produce to the main road which is at 10 kilometres away, but times have changed and now it has been made easier through the presence of a proper road,” Mr Rokocati said.
“Even when we had a road, it was not well maintained. When we travel along this road, we came across some very steep hills and sharp bends, so before the maintenance work was carried out last year there were instances where trucks carrying our produce would sometimes slip down the hill.
“During rainy weather we would have to go the long way which would take much longer to get to Labasa. This road has made things easier for us where buyers come all the way to our farms to purchase our goods instead of us going to town.”
Mr Rokocati said they were grateful to the Government for this project and has encouraged farmers to plant more. There are about 150 farmers in Balawaviriki.