Farmer Bewildered By Apple Tree Bearing Fruit

A 69-year-old farmer remains baffled about an apple tree that is bearing fruit on his farm on Matuku island in Lau.

Apolosa Suguturaga bought apples from the Suva Municipal Market, kept the seeds and returned to his village to where he planted it on his quarter-acre Nasomo farm.

“First, I grew the seed in a nursery, which started to germinate in the soil from the lovo pit and sprouted,” Mr Suguturaga said.

“Two weeks into the month of May, I transplanted the young plants to my Nasomo farm. I looked after them properly giving enough water and light.”

He actually planted 20 trees near the river and only five survived. Fifteen plants were washed away by rainwater.

“It took the plant three years and four months to bear fruit. I still ask myself how it was possible because Fiji does not have the weather like in Australia and New Zealand,” Mr Suguturaga said.

“To date the plants only gave seven fruits, two of which I have presented to Reverend Ilikeni Vai of the Methodist Church based on Matuku.”

Edited by Percy Kean