Farmers pray for more rain as dry conditions persist
They say they continue to rely on irrigation and are hoping for more rain.
Friday 02 October 2026 | 09:00
Farmer Azar Khan during his rounds to the farm in Votualevu, Nadi.
Photo: Katherine Naidu.
Recent rainfall has brought little relief to farmers in the Western Division.
Vegetable growers saying they continue to rely on irrigation and are hoping for more rain.
Nadi farmer Azar Khan said the rain had done little to reduce his reliance on river water and irrigation machinery during the El Niño dry season.
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The 25-year-old farmer, who farms with his parents, said they continued to rely on river water and irrigation machinery to keep their crops growing despite the rain.
“This rainfall does not make any difference for us,” Mr Khan said.
“We get water from the river and use machines to irrigate our crops.”
He said fuel for the irrigation machinery cost his farm about $5000, with higher fuel prices adding to the financial pressure.
“The hike in the fuel price is what affects us.”
While Mr Khan welcomed the rainfall, he said its benefits were short-lived.
“Rainfall is good, but nowadays even though it rains, it dries up quickly,” he said.
Another farmer, Olivia Likusiga of Moto, Ba, shared the same sentiments and said she hoped for more rain.
“We are not out of the woods yet. We pray for more rain. Let’s have faith,” she said.
Minister for Land and Mineral Resources Filimoni Vosarogo said there had been requests from maritime island villages for boreholes to be drilled.
“I am not personally aware of the details of those who have applied, but if they have applied, they will obviously go into the dashboard where our teams will be allocated,” he said.
“There are logistics involved in shipping and taking our equipment across.
“We have also commissioned six other private companies that we have authorised to carry out drilling on our behalf because the budget allows us to do that.
“If they have done that, then I’m sure there will be a quick response from the Mineral Resources Department (MRD) team.”
Asked whether the ministry would consider more boreholes for areas affected by the forecast El Niño conditions, Mr Vosarogo said the work was already underway.
“Definitely. I mean, that’s already in the playbook. They are already out and attending to these places,” he said.
“We are also working with the Public Works Department (PWD), which also has a team. The Ministry of Rural Development also has a team, so there is more than enough manpower and teams to be attending to all of these areas in need.
“If there are areas where there is an absolute need, and they are not being attended to, then they can contact my office, and I will make sure that they are also prioritised.”
The National Disaster Risk Management Office (NDRMO) has urged people to prepare before water supplies run low.
“Prepare early for El Niño. Store water now. Avoid wasting water,” NDRMO said in a statement.
