Grow More Food!
p. 36 · Read in the full issue
Making Fiji Self-Supporting
a PPeal to all communities— Fijian and Indian—to grow more Fiii r^nrpnd ?? od crops> thereby making
SodsDrfS self-supporting in essential
foodstuffs was contained in a report to xn 8 Legislative Council recently oy the Food Production Committee (Dr. H W TFr aC pri?i re T Ctor of Agriculture, and Messrs! and B g D ffihSkn®' GlbS ° n ’ TUlaram ernors appeal on the outbreak of war to ?°l e I f i ood ’ the Indi ans had not responded at all satisfactorily. in?rL f co r t f he Quickest and best method to increase food production would be to S/w faUo ™ ed sugar-lands with rice, where conditions are suitable, it was pointed out The CSR Co. has offered the G ?.Ys r nment its fullest co-operation. ™oS 8 f Coi^ imi ttee recommended ’ that market centres be established, and that b L 2 I ft - produce sheds (costing £3OO each) be erected on Viti Levu the main island), at Nadi, Sigatoka, Korovou (Tailevu), and Nanukuloa (Ra), to house the markets. Government was asked to earmark £l,OOO to guarantee economic returns to growers. NZ will be requested her market to Fijian kumulas (sweet potatoes).
The food position on Vanua Levu, the report disclosed, is acute, and local food production committees are to be set up under the chairmanship of each District Commissioner. Farmers may rent five acre blocks, on temporary licence, at a flat rate of 5/- per acre.
That the appeal for greater production did not fall on deaf ears was shown early in January when, following welcome rains, Indian families were busy planting rice in the Samabula, Rewa, and other Viti Levu districts.