Women Among Star Tobacco Farmers

Alisi Mereleki is a second-generation tobacco farmer.

But the cultivation of to­bacco on her mataqali land that this 54-year-old has been farming on goes further back.

Over the years, portions of the 10-acre land in Malawai was leased to more farmers in this tobacco re­gion.

Ms Mereleki, from Saunaka, Nadi, has made a lot of effort to continue tobacco farming which she said has financially sustained her family for years.

Yesterday that effort was awarded when she was among the pioneer­ing recipients of the British Ameri­can Tobacco (BAT) Star Farmers Incentive programme at the BAT complex in Nadi.

Based on tobacco farmers’ perfor­mance during the 2021 crop season, BAT awarded the top five per cent of the farmers with the Star Farm­er Golden.

From the top six farmers from the growing sectors – three from our Sigatoka-Mavua Sector and 3 our Nadi Sector.

The incentive was launched by the Prime Minister Voreqe Bainima­rama last year.

It encourages growing excellence among farmers. Farmers will be provided with financial and the technical know-how throughout the programme.

This can also be applied to the oth­er crops they grow outside of the normal tobacco season.

Ms Mereleki said: “We thank BAT and the Government of the day for making it happen.

“Cultivators of our land have shown extraordinary determina­tion to learn and go far beyond sim­ply growing tobacco.

“So this is an investment in us.”

Another recipient, Vivek Ram, 63, from Vaqia in Ba, who experiments on other crop produce has said the returns on tobacco is high.

Last year he harvested 27 tonnes and in the previous year, 23 tonnes.

Women commended

Chief guest, Minister for Com­merce, Trade, Tourism and Trans­port Faiyaz Koya commended wom­en for their participation.

“I am proud to hear that one hun­dred and fifteen farmers – not just men – but our women farmers too are being awarded,” Mr Koya said.

“It would be amiss, if I didn’t men­tion the important role women con­tinue to play in contributing to ag­riculture and rural livelihood.

“The farmers have been supported by BAT Fiji so you can maximise your returns. This assistance starts from the State-of-the-Art Green­houses located right here.

“In these greenhouses, BAT Fiji is able to cultivate seedlings, regard­less of external weather condi­tions, before they are handed over to farmers.

BAT has enabled farmers’ income to improve by $1000 per hectare, on average, in the last season, he added.

British American Tobacco Fiji general manager Damian Bruty said: “What our farmers have been able to achieve this last year, in ex­tremely trying circumstances, has been quite remarkable and is a tes­tament to their resilience and per­severance,” he said.

Feedback: waisean@fijisun.com.fj