In Fiji

Soil Conservation In Fiji

The following is a condensation of an article by Mr. C. Harvey, Director

of Agriculture, Fiji, which appeared in

October issue of Corona.

THE two principal islands of Fiji possess distinct climatic zones. The rain fall averages around 120 inches in the wet zone, with the heaviest falls be tween October and May, and in the dry zone around 75 inches, with a well marked dry season from June to October during which heavy storms occur. The interiors of both islands, approximately five-sevenths of the total area, are rugged and in the wet zone largely forest covered; in the dry zone extensive areas of reeds and grass occur some of which are suit able for rough grazing.

The most widely used agricultural soils are those of the broad flood plains of the larger rivers—meadow alluvial soils of medium to high potential fertility but usually of impending drainage, support ing sugar cane, dairying and rice; the sandy coastal soils, usually under coco nuts; red and brown earths and lateric red earths overlying marls and tuffs which provide second and third class cane land and also support a wide range of culti vated crops such as maize, peanuts, pine apples, tobacco, pulses and vegetables as well as a livestock population (cattle, goats and horses) which may be hedvy in areas of close settlement.

The general picture on the principal islands is that the alluvial flats and un dulating to hilly lands lying below the central ranges, particularly in the dry zone, are cultivated by industrious Indian farmers, usually on holdings of from ten to twenty acres in size, while the sandy, coastal lands and narrower valleys of the wet zone districts and of the interior support a largely Fijian population en gaged variously in subsistence agriculture and the production of copra, bananas and surplus food crops—mainly taro (Colo casia) yams, cassava and sweet potatoes.

Plantation agriculture is mainly confined to the coastal coconut lands of the second and smaller islands but dairy farming is carried on to a limited extent on the mam islands. The production of sugar cane, though on a peasant farm unit basis, is highly organised by the purchasing and milling company and this industry occu pies much of the best arable land.

ATTENTION was first given to the danger of soil erosion in 1938 when a recon naissance survey was undertaken.

This disclosed that while there was no widespread erosion it was locally severe in districts where closely settled immi grant farming populations had become established. Moreover it was apparent that £ the dry and . intermediate rain fall zones the indiscriminate burning of reeds and grasses was quite ineffectively controlled and that this, combined with overstocking in limited areas with both cattle and goats, was responsible for ero sion as well as accelerating the destruc tion of dry zone forest and the replacement of grasses by noxious weeds.

The desirability of controlling the an nual burning of reeds and grass was recognised by Government as early as 1927 when an ordinance was passed whicn imposes heavy penalties for the indis criminate firing of grass. A Native Affairs Board Regulation similarly pro vides for the punishment of Fijian offen ders. In practice this legislation is ineffective: two communities are involved,

Indian (and European) stock owners who wish to induce a growth of young grass and Fijian villagers (who are not, gen erally, large livestock owners) who find their search for wild yams greatly facili tated by a good burn. It is easy for one community to blame the other, apart from the great difficulty of proving the offence in court.

Apart from coconut planting, which is the largest single source of Fijian income, Fijian agriculture is generally confined to the planting of root crops and bananas on pockets of land along the main river sys tems and the less important cultivation of rice and other field crops on the smaller river flats. Although much steeply sloping land is cleared for food gardens, and there is undoubtedly some loss of surface soil therefrom, severe erosion is not in evidence because the Fijian does not practise clean weeding, allows cut grass and weeds to lie as a mulch between the growing crop plants and, for the most part, does not disturb the soil between planting hills. The gardens are rested for five years or more between crops and. since the rainfall is such that weed growth is rapid at all seasons of the year, the system is not harmful so long as the pressure of population remains relatively slight.

Where departure is made from the tra ditional system of wet zone cultivation, as by immigrant communities, the balance is disturbed and severe erosion may follow.

Chinese market gardeners and Indian cultivators farming relatively small hold ings close to towns and settlements culti vate the land almost continuouslv and are unable to afford long resting periods.

Vertical drains are dug to dispose of excess water, clean weeding is practised and no manuring is undertaken; under these conditions soil structure is rapidly lost and soil wash is heavy.