On March 9, 1984, The Fiji Times published an article about a major project laid out for rice farming in the country and the significant increase in the number of farmers who took up rice farming.
It stated in January 1984, during the second National Rice Week, messages were relayed by guest speakers on the importance of growing more rice and narrowing the gap between imports and local production.
The messages relayed so frequently that week did not fall on deaf ears as there was a significant increase in the number of new faces who went into rice farming.
Farmers mobilised their resources and took up land to grow more rice of the right variety, which according to scientists, would yield more grain per hectare and could be grown at any time of the year.
New land area under rice that season also increased such as the Rewa Delta and Lokia areas in the Central Division.
Most farmers in those areas were iTaukei, many of whom had never grown rice before and most of them were growing the recommended uttam variety.
Those growing the new uttam variety expected an average yield of four tonnes per hectare.
Around Nakaile, Burebasaga, and Waivou the grass infestation and the haphazard subsistence farming were replaced by well-coordinated rice farms.
A large area of the new land in Lokia on the opposite bank was also brought under rice, mostly by iTaukei farmers.
The article stated the Agricultural Development Project Division of the Ministry of Primary Industries had conducted major drainage and land reclamation work in the Rewa Delta to develop land for large-scale rice production.
John Dass, the senior agricultural officer, oversaw the operation delta.
He said the aim was to increase the rice area in the Rewa Delta to 100 hectares. Increasing rice imports and decreasing levels of local rice production have characterised the industry over the past.
Therefore, the government’s effort was to find more effective operations to reverse the trend.
In 1982 a few studies were done by the Food and Agriculture Organization (UN) and three of them offered recommendations, implementation, and the possibility of increasing rice production and other crops in both the Central and Northern divisions.
The results of these reports promised some growth in the industry.
The expansion of the Navua scheme by 50 hectares under Chinese aid was very promising.
Once the additional 50 hectares started producing the annual rice production in the Navua scheme, it was expected to double to 600 tonnes in 1984.
Earlier, in 1980, natural disasters such as Cyclone Wally birthed a project aimed at rehabilitating and improving the drainage system and providing flood protection for more than 15,000 hectares of agricultural land.
In 1981 the project was entering a certain level of progression. It cost around $9 million to extend three and a half years (1981-1984) work on drains, seawalls, outfall structures, dredging, and flood protection.
Later that year, work progressed towards administrative facilities for the agricultural development project.
The aim then was to develop 5000 hectares of land improved under the Cyclone Wally drainage project.
The article stated the ultimate success in achieving the goal to cut rice imports depended on favourable weather and the will among farmers to sustain the awakening which brought new vigour to Fiji’s rice farming communities.
