For generations, farming families across Fiji have worked the land with resilience, often relying on limited tools and enduring immense physical challenges. Today, in Kalabu, Naitasiri, the family of Ro Seru Bilivanua has taken a significant step forward with the support of the Government’s Farm Mechanisation Program. Through this initiative, the family received a new digger—an investment that represents more than machinery. It is a symbol of opportunity, progress, and empowerment for rural Fiji.
The program, funded under the 2025/2026 financial year, covered two-thirds of the cost, with the family contributing $40,000. This partnership reflects the Government’s commitment to easing the burden on hardworking farmers while enabling them to expand production and improve efficiency. For the Ro Seru family, who have consistently produced around five tonnes of crops weekly for the past four years, the digger will transform land preparation, drainage, and farm road construction, reducing manual labor and boosting productivity.
Farming, for this family, is not merely a livelihood—it is a pathway out of poverty, a means of supporting their household, and a way to create opportunities for their children and community. As Hon. Tomasi Tunabuna, Minister for Agriculture, Waterways and Sugar Industry, emphasized, mechanisation is about helping farmers earn more from their land, meet growing demand, and strengthen Fiji’s agricultural sector both locally and abroad.
The Coalition Government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Hon. Sitiveni Rabuka, continues to recognize the challenges farmers face—rising costs, labor shortages, unpredictable weather, and crop theft. Yet the solution is not surrender, but resilience. By investing in tools, technology, and practical support, the Government ensures that rural communities are equipped to succeed.
The story of the Ro Seru family is a powerful reminder: when hardworking Fijians are given the right support, the land becomes a source of prosperity for generations. This is what progress looks like—visible, tangible, and transformative for rural Fiji.
