Fiji Has Unusual Problem Following A

[?]ettlement of the Rewa Valley

Sugar-Mill Closure

One of the most interesting tasks before the Government and ople of Fiji is the re-settlement of the Rewa River Valley, under 5 new conditions imposed by the coming withdrawal of the canc

er industry.

S sugar-planting pioneers of Iji grew their first cane in the Seventies on the flats of the a and Rewa Rivers, and the ry between, which includes the area. ;re were various sugar-growing rns; but they all finally were [ abandoned, or gathered up e Colonial Sugar Refining Co. which began operations in the area of Fiji, in 1880. The Co. erected the Nausori mill, on >anks of the Rewa, and en ged cane-growing along the Valley. the ensuing 70 years, the CSR lamed by experience that the -Suva-Navua area, being on ivet” side of Viti Levu, is not table for cane-growing as the ig-Ba-Lautoka-Nadi - Sigatoka which is “dry.”

CSR Co., long ago, warned Indian cane-growers in the Valley that unless they ed their methods and especi ndertook large-scale drainage, sugar-production at Nausori not be considered economic, imparison with the results ed in the mills at Penang, Ba iautoka. nothing was done. A few is ago, the Co. announced at the conclusion of the 1959 ng season, the Nausori mill cease operations, e then, the shocked Indian [rowers have promised numer forms in agricultural methods, cane with higher sugar con but the Co. says its decision vocable. las undertaken, however, to il the help within in its power i change-over from a cane g to a general agriculture ny.

Rewa is a big river, subject sudden, heavy flooding, and the course of the ages it has ed very large flats and sub valleys on either side. It is that it is navigable by small tor 60 miles from its large rhe waterway is used largely : transportation of sugar-cane lelds to mill, and of bananas me growing communities of banana-planters in the upper ’ the valley. )ugh the town of Nausori,

built around the mill, is mostly Indian (representing cane-workers, mill-workers and traders), there are large communities of Fijians

(villagers and professional planters) also in the Rewa area.

Fiji, at first, was startled by the decision to close the Nausori mill.

But, now, the Colony is reconciled to the idea.

More sugar will be produced at the other mills, to compensate for the loss of Nausori; and the fertile and attractive Rewa area may be converted to the production of more valuable crops. For example: There are 165,000 Indians in Fiji’s popula tion of 340,000: and they are rice eaters; and Fiji now imports (con sidering the state of her economy) far too much rice, in view of the fact that excellent rice, both hill and padi varieties, can grow in Fiji, and especially in the Rewa

area.

(Continued on Page 105)

i investigations have supported te opinion that good economic ops can be grown on the River flats, as an alternative jar-cane. an cane-growers have been lis by an expert, Dr. H. Evans, tinent plant physiologist, who ivited by the Colonial Sugar ng Co. Ltd., to advise on crops jould replace sugar-cane. He )hysiological botanist at the Cane Research Station at tius, and was later at the Im- College of Tropical Agricul ,n Trinidad as Senior Plant ilogist on the Second Cocoa *ch Scheme.

Evans said he was greatly im -1 with the suitability of i parts of the Rewa area for and coffee—two crops which go together for balanced ny. oca, kumala, dale, various and other green vegetables, (ananas, black pepper, pig ? and butter-fat production tlso regarded by him as good ute industries. Rice already established industry around 'i. e Indian growers still cling itely to the belief that a sugar :ill can operate. Others are ing the inevitable —that when .11 is closed at the end of the •ush, the market for cane will ear. immediate steps to tackle the

d’-ainage problem that contributed so much to the failure to produce cane of high enough sugar density must be taken, said Dr. Evans.

IF some of the Indian growers per sist in their objections to grow ing other crops, they will have no alternative but to sell their land, or their leases.

They will have no difficulty there.

Fiji is crowded with land-hungry Indians who are eager to obtain land for general agriculture, even if it involves harder and more con tinuous work than cane-growing.

Also, there now are many young Fijians who served in Malaya and who are keen to emulate the im proved farming methods they have seen overseas, and thus improve their economic condition.

Many Fijians are anxious to break away from the old tribal way of working village lands on a com munal system, with the restricting influence of the older men, content more or less with subsistence farm ing.

The opening-up of these CSR lands beside the Rewa will offer practical opportunities for the establishment of co-operative farm ing among young Fijians. Most observers believe these opportunities will be seized.

BUT the call is for an over-all plan for the development and re-settlement of the Rewa

Valley; and a co-ordinating force to direct the interests and activities of the various institutions affected.

Here are some of the factors to be considered: • Much of the Rewa sugar-grow ing land belongs to the CSR Co., which hitherto has leased it to the Indians for cane-growing; but which now is prepared to make it avail able for any useful purpose. • Most of the Rewa land gener ally is owned by the Fijian native communities; and all that is not in actual use for native subsistence is, more or less, administered on behalf of the natives by the now big and

powerful Native Land Trust I which has Governmental autHJ • Some Rewa lands are * by Indians, but not much. Ini generally are increasingly either to buy land, or obtain n long leases. • It is British Government 1 to encourage the Fijians to abd village communal life, anor organise themselves as individiu; peasant farmers. • Consequently, there is ann all problem of land titles anoi apportionment. • There is a further 2 problem in the fact that this < is subject to frequent floodb< and this calls for major worli signed for river-straightening,,; channelling, drainage, etc. • As in all settlement pnc there is need for a co-ordinate*9 to provide roads and transponr facilities. • There will be need form form of direction and controo methods of agriculture and s husbandry.

The more thoughtful men 0 have been considering the - Valley task of re-settlement am problems it contains; and hawv advocating the formation at am date of a Rewa Valley Autfj for planning and co-ordinatii? dealing with the various t enunicated above.

That seems to be the only • to follow, if economic confusioi racial troubles are to be avov THE future of Nausori, 010 miles from the capital, nais interests Suva very much Nausori is fast becoming a : of Suva. Many who work irai live at Nausori because co easier housing conditions their; between 600 and 800 city vw travel into Suva from Nausori.; morning on the bus services.a; There is a large native pq tion in the surrounding db who shop at Nausori.

If various forms of agriih for which the Rewa Valley i;i able replace cane-growing, M may grow in size and importh though the change-over p 6 may disturb its economic bi considerably.

The Suva City Council arm Public Works Department Jj often complained of a shortfi unskilled labour. Maybe a n tion of the Indian labour noor ployed by the CSR Co. coultu employment in Suva.

Even at the present timeei firms and local bodies send £ to Nausori each morning tood labour into Suva.

U The Rt. Rev. S. G. Caulton, ,j Bishop of Melanesia, and wh*ri 1955 has been Assistant Bislai Auckland, has become Vicar u George’s Church, Epsom.