From his mother’s backyard, he is fighting back against the cost of living

Every Saturday, Bhaveekesh Reddy wakes up and gets to work—not in an office or on a construction site, but in his mother’s backyard on Howell Road in Suva.

The 19-year-old Fiji National University (FNU) agriculture student is doing what Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has been urging Fijians to do—grow their own food.

But Reddy has gone further. He has turned that backyard into a business.

His company, Nithyananda Farms Fiji, sells vegetable seedlings wholesale and retail and produces frozen ginger cubes.

The business also plans to expand into commercial nurseries and aeroponic growing systems—all funded through his Tertiary Scholarship and Loans Service (TSLS) allowance and a loan from his mother, which he is repaying through sales.

Under the scholarship, students receive $1,500 per semester for home-based study or $2,500 if studying away from home.

“Agriculture is the only market that won’t crash,” he said. “People will need food to survive—they will turn back to the farmers.”

With food prices 21 per cent higher than in 2019, he sells backyard starter packs and combo bundles aimed at urban families looking to grow their own vegetables and cut grocery bills.

“You plant your own vegetables and you’ll save money from buying groceries. You’ll be self-sufficient,” he said.

It reflects the kind of grassroots response Prime Minister Rabuka called for in his New Year message, when he said backyard gardening would “reduce household expenses and lower Fiji’s reliance on imported food.”

Reddy reached the top 10 of the Business Assistance Fiji agri-innovation competition—the youngest finalist at 19.

However, despite applying to the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Ministry of Agriculture for grants and support, he said he had received no response.

“I’ve been chased away or looked down on—just because I’m 19,” he said.

“I deserve to receive some kind of assistance. Even some seeds would be good.”

The Government has pointed to measures aimed at supporting such initiatives.

Former Finance Minister Biman Prasad said the 2025–2026 Budget included additional funding for agriculture and subsidies for non-sugar crop sectors, alongside youth grants of $1,000 to $5,000 through the Ministry of Youth and Sports, open to those aged 15 to 35 with income-generating projects.

Mr Prasad said the Government’s approach was to address both expenditure support and income growth.