Bose Vavataga 
[Photo: Bose Vavataga]
Prolonged dry weather is increasing production costs for vegetable farmers in Nadi, with some warning that Fijians could soon pay more for locally grown produce.
Farmers are spending more on irrigation to keep their crops alive as the lack of rainfall dries out their land. They say continued dry conditions could affect supply and push up vegetable prices in the coming months.
Many armers are already feeling the effects of El Niño.
For Prasutam Lal, the dry conditions have made farming increasingly difficult. The soil on his farm is hard and cracked, with little moisture to support crop growth.
He says the timing of irrigation is now critical, as watering crops during the heat of the day can damage the plants.
“When we plough the land, there is no moisture beneath the surface. It is very hard. We have to be careful when irrigating because the soil becomes too hot after midday, and this can destroy the plants.”
Lal now relies on water from the Nadi River to irrigate parts of his farm. However, operating the diesel-powered pump is adding to his expenses.
He says five to six hours of irrigation consumes about 20 litres of diesel, while maintenance of the pump and pipes adds to the cost.
With production costs rising, the impact is also being felt further along the supply chain.
Middleman Alipate Bilavucu says he is buying vegetables at $8 a dozen and must sell them for $15 to cover his costs.
Lal says farmers may have little choice but to increase their selling prices to keep their operations running.
