Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama yesterday praised the initiative of a young Nadi farmer who is fast becoming a successful businessman.

He visited Devesh and Bharos Nursery at Salavau, Votualevu, Nadi, which belongs to Devesh Nath who founded the business in 2008 when he was 28 years old.

The nursery sells and supplies vegetable and fruit seedlings to commercial farms – about 500 farmers. Mr Nath has a diploma in computing and economics, but his vision drew him to agriculture.

“It is a joy for me to be here and see this splendid business, which is the result of one man’s vision and one man’s sweat and sacrifice,” Mr Bainimarama said.

“It is a fine example of the ingenuity and drive that we Fijians have, and it is an example for all Fijians to follow.”

Mr Nath started his business with a small nursery beside his house. The following year, he used the money he loaned from a bank and from family members to buy a piece of land to extend the nursery and build proper structures.

Mr Nath was also helped by a well-known non-government organisation (NGO), the Market Development Facility and the Ministry of Agriculture.

His business grew steadily, and in 2013, he was named Young Farmer of the Year during the 2013 Crest Agricultural Show in Lautoka.

Six years after Mr Nath took the risk to expand his business, the PM said, the nursery had the capacity to produce 240,000 potted seedlings and 450,000 seedlings in trays at one time.

“Some 400 to 500 farmers get seedlings from this nursery, so Mr Devesh already has a huge impact on Fijian agriculture,” the PM said.

Mr Nath has a 38-acre farm where he used about eight acres to produce vegetables for the export market. Each week, he supplies vegetables to Tropiko and Green Valley exports. He employs 10 permanent staff and five casual labourers.

“It takes a great deal of courage to do what Devesh Nath has done. It fills me with pride and hope when I see a young person who was barely out of school, and who through wise management, sound planning and strong  knowledge of the market, build a successful business such as this,” the PM said.

“Fiji is not the same country we were at our independence, or even the same country we were 10 years ago. We are making our own future, determining what kind of nation we will be, what kind of people we will be.”

Edited by Maikeli Seru

litia.tikomailepanoni@fijisun.com.fj