Ritika Pratap 
Villagers in Taveuni are growing increasingly frustrated by a rise in yaqona thefts on the island.
Villagers in Taveuni are growing increasingly frustrated by a rise in yaqona thefts on the island.
Opposition MP Jone Usamate says this troubling issue was highlighted during his recent visit, stressing that it requires immediate action.
According to Usamate, villagers have suggested that they need greater authority to deal with the thieves.
They have also revealed that a network exists where thieves are alerted through text messages and Viber, informing them when the owners return to the village, which facilitates the thefts.
He further states that villagers claim stolen yaqona is quickly cleaned and dried to prevent identification, and that some of the stolen crops are even shipped to Vanua Levu for processing to avoid detection.
Usamate was given an estimate by a villager that up to 7,000 yaqona plants were stolen within just a few months last year.
Despite this, Usamate claims that information provided by villagers to the police regarding the thefts has not been acted upon.
The Fiji Police Force, however, has responded by confirming that farmers have lodged complaints, and they are actively investigating the matter.
To curb or minimize the thefts, villagers are proposing that the sale of green yaqona be banned, that police act promptly on information provided, and that officers stationed on the island be rotated.
Usamate is also calling on the government to listen to the pleas of yaqona farmers in Taveuni and take swift action to stop these thefts immediately.
