Matuku Island Fiji organic farming
Matuku Island Organic Farmer Interview Series. Levukaidaku Village, Matuku Island (Fiji), August 2016.
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'Welcome to Davuna. This is just a bit of my plantation that is here. I plant dalo, yaqona [kava], some cucumbers, and melon, baigani [egg plant], bele [tree spinach]...'
Interviewer: Where does your plantation start?
' My plantation starts from down there, and comes right up there.'
Interviewer: What made you do farming? Why don't you choose any other occupation?
'Because farming you have no boss to boss you around. You wake up anytime, if you don't work today, still you can eat. Dalo, cassava, fruits, you can eat expensive foods in the village rather than buying from Suva.
Interviewer: Vinaka [thank you]. What's your message, if you have anything to say?
'My message is that, this is the best place to come. Ah, there's no use going to Suva, going to work. Getting 1 week pay is not enough for your family to survive. You come to the village, come make use of the land. Me as a visitor, this is not my island. But personally, the way I think, I think it's my gift. God telling me to. I love planting.
I came to know how to plant dalo in the village. I came to plant yaqona [kava]. And I've harvested it. I'm happy about it. And ah, if somebody asked me, what's my best ah, what's the best job that I like? To me, personally, it's farming.
Interviewer: Vinaka, Vinaka [Thank you, Thank you]
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