Apenisa Waqairadovu 
[Photo: FILE]
A prominent kava farming family on Taveuni is raising concern over persistent theft, claiming the problem has forced them to drastically reduce production.
Hari Daya Enterprises, which has been cultivating kava on the island for more than a century, says annual planting has dropped from more than 60,000 plants to just over 1,000 due to ongoing losses.
Abhishek Sapra, son of the company’s director, claims several kava plants were uprooted from their farm last week, with those responsible leaving behind evidence.
In a video shared with FBC News, Sapra and a group conducted a nighttime inspection over the weekend and discovered trails of freshly uprooted kava plants. They also found horse tracks, boot prints, and barefoot footprints near the site.
Sapra says the matter has been reported to the police, along with several previous complaints.
He claims kava theft has worsened since the COVID-19 pandemic and alleges that tracks from the latest incident led to three nearby homes.
Sapra further claims some of the individuals linked to the properties had previously been implicated in thefts from the farm, but despite numerous reports, little action has been taken.
FBC News has sighted both current and past correspondence between the company and police regarding complaints lodged over the years.
The family is now calling for swift action to prevent further losses and protect an industry they say has supported generations of farmers on Taveuni.
