Serving farmers out in the fields and rural communities around the Northern Division requires commitment and sacrifice.

This was the message from Senior Agriculture Technical Assistant North Akosita Rovia, who has been serving the Fiji Agriculture Chemistry Laboratory crop research division for the past 17 years.

Originally from Muani, Ravitaki, Kadavu she is the first woman to operate Fiji’s only mobile soil testing laboratory vehicle.

Despite the challenges of being a woman in a mostly male-dominated field, Rovia enjoys traveling to remote places, assisting farmers as a soil scientist.

“Since I’m alone, it’s been challenging; farmers are calling out in numbers, so I have to organize my time and program. Every week, it’s always packed with farmers calling and visiting me at the Seaqaqa Research Station concerning these services.”

With Civil Services Week, Rovia paid tribute to women in the civil service who serve in the rural and maritime communities.

The Mobile Soil Testing Laboratory vehicle is currently based at the Seaqaqa Research Station.