61-year-old Seaqaqa farmer, Litiana Buli, is optimistic about achieving a higher yield during the upcoming sugarcane planting season.

This follows her participation at a recent training on ‘Best Management Practices of Sugarcane Farming for Female Farmers’ at Seaqaqa Primary School.

Ms Buli who owns a 14-acre farm at Navai, said the sugarcane farming practices have evolved over the years where modern farming methods have taken precedence.

The Sugar Research Institute of Fiji (SRIF)-facilitated training which has been an eye-opener for the women of Seaqaqa.

A farmer for the past two decades, Ms Buli, said with the guaranteed price of $85 per tonne on their cane payment, more women will be interested to remain in the industry.

The humble farmer emphasised that she would advocate on these practices to women in her village.

“I believe this will help female farmers to gain encouragement to engage in this field even more,” she shared.

“With increased knowledge on best management practices, I will confident working on the farm,” she said.

According to Ms Buli, for the sugarcane farming sector to be sustainable, the perception that it is a field dominated by men needs to change.

“We wives must help our husband in the farms to enhance the production of sugarcane,” she said.

When asked on the how the season went this year, she shared her happiness at completing all harvesting and said early preparations for next year’s season have started.

She expressed her delight with the 2022 sugarcane season, saying that all of the harvesting was completed on schedule and that early preparations for the next season had started.

Story by: sampras.anand@fijisun.com.fj