Sainiani Boila 
[File Photo]
The Ministry for iTaukei Affairs provided an update on land lease renewal in Fiji, highlighting that the current renewal rate is around 85% to 87%, which is described as a positive achievement.
Speaking in parliament, Minister Ifereimi Vasu discussed the status of land leases allocated for agriculture, which encompass approximately 50,000 hectares of land.
However, he noted that only about 50% of this land is being fully utilized for agricultural purposes.
The process for renewing land leases requires that the iTaukei Land Trust Board consult with leaseholders five years prior to the expiration of their lease.
“We have received the request from the farmers that the five years is too short to prepare them if their lease is going to be renewed so they will need a 10-year consultation period. So that has been facilitated by the TLTB at the moment.”
Vasu says the delays in land lease renewals is due to the breach of lease contracts, particularly when farmers fail to utilize the full extent of the land they have leased.
The TLTB has advised farmers to either use the entire area they lease or surrender the unused portion to ensure proper land utilization.
Other factors causing delays include the presence of overlapping lease areas and the growing needs of local landowning units, or mataqali and yavusa, for land to support food security and development.
