A PEANUT farmer in Tabataba, Ba, fears losing his crops after a nearby river dried up, with potential losses estimated at more than $1000.
Speaking to this newspaper, Rakesh Prakash said prolonged dry weather had severely affected his two-acre farm, leaving him without a reliable source of irrigation water.
“I would fetch water from the nearby river, but that has also dried up,” he said.
Mr Prakash said he usually sold a tin of peanuts for $70 at the Ba Market, but the dry conditions had prevented him from harvesting his crop.
The 58-year-old said the lack of water and soil moisture had also made land preparation difficult and affected his vegetable plantation, particularly his okra crops.
“I am requesting assistance from the Ministry of Agriculture to help our community gain access to piped water from the Water Authority of Fiji (WAF) depot.”
The dry weather is expected to continue until March next year.
