We’ve got to admit a storm is brewing in the hills of Kadavu. And it isn’t about the weather. With more than 300,000 marijuana plants seized in Nakasaleka alone and drug-related crimes soaring by 93 percent, we are facing a major challenge as a nation. In fact, the people of Kadavu are facing that challenge head on!
It’s clear that illicit cultivation has become one of the most urgent social and economic threats facing the island.
The roll-on impact on the nation is quite a concern.
As numbers grow, so too does the realisation that we have the base for a growing underground economy that threatens law, order, and livelihoods.
National Coordinator Superintendent of Police (SP) Ruci Nasemira, at the Kadavu Provincial Council in a meeting this week, confirmed drug-related crimes on the island had increased by 93 per cent compared with last year.
“Overall, crime on the island has increased by 55 percent this year when compared to numbers from last year, with marijuana cultivation and sale leading the list of reported offences,” Ms Nasemira said.
She said the scale of the problem was underscored by the discovery of a single nursery-style farm that contained about 30,000 plants.
In March, about 72,000 plants were uprooted from 20 farms. That number rose to about 76,000 across 26 farms in April. In May, authorities seized about 43,000 plants from 19 farms, and in June, about 15,000 were discovered on 10 farms.
To some extent, this crisis also carries with it an opportunity to shift the narrative from suppression to sustainable change.
Let’s face it, the data is compelling. Such large volumes of marijuana being cultivated and sold also reflect economic viability.
There is value here, and where there is value, there is also the potential for return on investment.
Farmers are finding it lucrative! They are being bold as they try and beat the system because of the returns.
So maybe the powers that be need to appreciate that. We have always spoken about alternative crops. We have always spoken out about a viable process that will motivate farmers to get out of marijuana farming and into something else, an alternative crop.
If people are risking everything to grow marijuana, it is because it delivers income in communities with few other viable options.
The same soil, labour, and strategies that produce illegal crops can be redirected toward legal, high-value agriculture.
The question is whether we have the political will to make this happen? The police will obviously only be there to do their job!
And that is to ensure laws are adhered to.
We say the onus is on the Government, agricultural stakeholders, and the private sector to ensure the pathway to transition is clear, attractive, and financially rewarding. That means ensuring the right support systems are in place!
They need to be reassured that alternative crops will be protected and supported.
Then there is the issue of the medicinal cannabis industry raised by Trade Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica in June this year.
The high numbers on Kadavu in terms of marijuana farming confirm that value exists, but the trade is illegal! Our challenge is to focus on an alternative that is viable for all those involved.
That is important for the nation!
