Kelera Ditaiki 
District of Sawaieke on Gau Island. [Photo: FILE]
The District of Sawaieke on Gau Island is actively implementing a programme aimed at strengthening agricultural activity and supporting local farmers.
Under the initiative, the first three months of the year are fully dedicated to farming activities across the district, ensuring consistent focus on land cultivation and farm development.
District representative, Tomasi Dravuikula, says, kava farming, which remains the main source of income for many households in Sawaieke, is a key priority under the programme.
“The beginning of the first three months of the year is a good time to plant kava, as the weather is neither too hot nor too rainy, making it ideal for cultivation.”
He says the initiative is designed to boost productivity, improve food security, and increase household incomes by encouraging more organised and sustained farming practices.
Dravuikula adds that the structured approach ensures that activities remain a central driver of economic well-being in the district.
“We should first develop plans at the household level before scaling them up to wider communities. This approach is already being actively implemented, with farmers cooperating and working together to strengthen agricultural activities.”
Minister for Agriculture Tomasi Tunabuna says land cultivation in villages is declining due to fewer youth engaging in farming, adding that there is a need to get more young people involved in agriculture.
The initiative is impacting rural communities, with the Ministry of Agriculture fully supporting efforts to strengthen the sector.
