Training Fijian Youths

as Farmers

A PROJECT that should be a great boon to Fijian youths, says the “Fiji Times and Herald”, is expected to be under way shortly. It is the Colonial Sugar Refining Co.’s scheme for selected natives from post-primary schools to be trained in agriculture at Drasa, a fertile valley about five miles north of Lautoka.

The C.S.R. Co., already, has spent sev eral thousand pounds on development work, e.g., a school, “bures” (native houses), kitchen, etc. Th,e course will cover three years, and provision has been made for about 75 students. The boys will receive thorough training to fit them for development into tenant farmers in cane or other produce. Each will be given 12/- a month pocket money, and 5/- weekly will be paid into a fund by the Co. so that trainees will have suffi cient capital at the completion of the course to begin farming on their own.