Sivaniolo Lumelume 
Residents of Wainilotulevu in the interior of Namosi are set to benefit from improved market access as the government addresses challenges faced by farmers in the region.
Yaqona and dalo, the primary sources of income for the community, have long been hindered by the lack of adequate farm roads and the high cost of transporting produce to markets.
According to Namosi Provincial Administrator Laisenia Tui, the government is taking proactive steps to bring buyers directly to the farmers’ doorsteps.
“Because where they’re farming, there is no road. So what we need to do is work collaboratively or collectively together to try and get the road to the farm and get the product out of the farm. When they reach the village, there’s another challenge to take it from here to the market.”
Tui highlighted the government’s initiative to connect farmers with buyers as a cost-effective solution with exporters like Peni Moi and other buyers coming in to buy dalo and yaqona which is the cheapest and most effective way for the farmers to gain money quickly in a very short amount of time.
Namosi Agriculture Officer Alumeci Somumu echoed similar sentiments, noting that farmers are satisfied with the arrangement.
“A lot of farmers are okay with these exporters and middlemen coming over because if they tend to take the produce to Navua or Suva, they’ll be paying for the price of one bundle of dalo, which is three dollars or two dollars, depending on the carrier or the vehicle they’re taking the produce in.”
As Wainilotulevu continues to navigate these challenges, the government intervention is seen as a critical step towards creating sustainable livelihood for the people of Namosi.
