Rekha Devi Singh, 44, of Saweni, Lautoka, recently launched Pacific Island Copra Dealers, in a move she credits to the Fijian Government.

Ms Singh took a loan under the Government’s micro, small and medium enterprise grant initiative, on June 24. By September, she received word that her loan of $7000 was approved.

She plans to repay the sum by mid-2021. Ms Singh said her husband, Atul Kumar, keeps watch over operations with the help of 20 farmers at the 100-acre copra farm in Motusa, Rotuma.

“I don’t own the land, I just deal with the farmers there,” Ms Singh said. “At first, I was out of finance and things didn’t work out. But the Government came up with this business loan, so I decided to apply – and I’m thankful to the government they had faith in me.”

First Order
Ms Singh plans to ship the first copra consignment to Viti Levu in November.

“My target now will be 20 tonnes per month,” she said. “At the moment, I’m getting $300 per tonne. I plan to increase it to 25 tonnes a month, then 30. My market is Punja and Sons – they are buying at $1000 per tonne.”

She said her family’s background in copra farming was also an advantage for her. “I was raised in Buca Bay, where my family had a 100-acre copra farm estate,” Ms Singh said.

“It was my dream to start my own business in copra farming,” she said. A concern for her business was the weather elements, as copra from her farm was sun-dried.

“I also need labourers for unloading,” Ms Singh said. The copra is shipped to Suva’s Narain Jetty, where Punja and Sons collect it to transport to Lautoka. “I’m thankful to them for providing transport at their own cost,” she said.

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