The dusty road up to the village of Lutu in Naitasiri — also referred to as Lutu, Wainibuka — features farmers who are engaged in farming different commodities.
One will be in awe as they witness rows of ginger on hilltops to acres of dalo on flatlands including herds of grazing cows with prominent udder and less muscle typical of dairy breeds.
Naitasiri is second to the Sigatoka Valley in that both are hubs of agricultural practises contributing to the country’s GDP.
Here is the story of a man, who among other dairy farmers, works tirelessly to meet the demand for milk of thousands around the country.
Ratu Semi Turagaduadua, 56, of Vusiga Village in Lutu runs, with his family, a dairy farm on his 27 acres of leased land.
“The land belongs to my maternal side, the people of Lutu and I am grateful they have given me this piece of land to build my life.
“I have been farming from the time I came of age. My family planted this land with me and before me and it has been in my interest to do so ever since,” he said.
The area is now a transformed dairy farmland which was previously a family tausala dalo plantation and Semi was a famous supplier in the area.
Events occur in our lives for a reason, some bring destruction and others prosperity but for Ratu Semi it brought both and revealed the better.
In the wake of January 2008, when Cyclone Gene battered Fiji, major flooding and power cuts wrought havoc throughout the country especially for farmers.
“I woke up that dreadful morning only to see my dalo plantation under water. At that point in time, my heart sank.
“All my plans, income, future and hard work got washed away by Cyclone Gene and for farmers, times like this are a terrible heartache,” he said.
The devastation of the cyclone did not deter Ratu Semi as he made up his mind to switch from extensive crop planting to dairy farming.
“I started my dairy farm on the 16th July, 2010 and it has always been a significant date as it was the time I had recovered from my woes of 2008.
“I switched to dairy because of the land type as it is a low land area and in times of an impending flood, animals could easily be moved to higher ground,” Ratu Semi said.
“To begin with, I reared four cows and slowly over the years they multiplied and I have a good number now.”
From that humble beginning, Ratu Semi’s milking cow stock now stands at 27 with each cow on average producing five litres a day.
“In total, I have 80 and that includes bulls, calves, heifers and cows with another 98 released in the wild,” he said, pointing to the paddocks where they contentedly graze.
Inhaling the “sweet” smell of cow dung every morning has become a norm for this hardworking farmer as he moves swiftly among the herd with his necessary equipment like gumboots.
As has been his job for the past years, he has to milk his cows two to three times a day which means waking up before the cock crows and tending to his cows which are now accustomed to the routine.
“I wake up at three in the morning (which I sometimes find hard) rounding up the cows for milking, by then the whole family is up lending a helping hand,” Ratu Semi said.
The waking up before the cock crows routine ended when Ratu Semi purchased a portable milking machine.
“Now with the milking machine, it is much easier and I can wake up at 5am to do my milking and it is faster compared to manpower,” he said.
Money from his dairy farm has seen Ratu Semi comfortably meeting his daily family needs and the education of his children.
Apart from the farm’s success, the welfare of the herd is his second priority.
“Every time I see my cows make their way across the mud puddle, be it rainy or sunny, I feel for them as they tread towards the milking shed,” he said with a tinge of sadness. “Because of this, I made a promise that I will upgrade their walkway with gravel to assist them daily.
“These cows are like family to me, it hurts when something happens to them that’s why I make sure they are fed and well looked after.”
Farming with its many obstacles has never seen Ratu Semi back down but instead made him work even harder.
“After milking, it is another long walk to the main road although it has been a routine, carrying the heavy milk is a concern and the trips are made twice or even three times when there’s no help,” the 58-year-old dalo turned dairy farmer said.
Ratu Semi supplies milk to the Naluwai Chilling Centre. The centre accommodates dairy farmers in the upper Naitasiri region buying premium milk at 70cents per litre.
“Villagers and neighbours are also my good customers coming in every morning to buy milk and they are buying a litre for 60c.
“Money from the milk bought feeds the school children before school while some of it is used for dairy product investments in the village.
“This rotational trade gives me motivation every day to continue and not leave the chilling centre and customers disappointed.”
The business is however never left unattended when Ratu Semi, because of other commitments, has to leave the pasture and the cows.
“Everyone in the family is familiar with the milking routine. When I am away, it is them, right down to my inquisitive daughter Adi Kelera who take over.”
With a common dialect and love for the same food and the like, Ratu Semi didn’t look far for a wife having her from Wailotua Village in Wainibuka. They have three children.
Ratu Semi has his sights set on increasing his milking cows from the standing number to 80-100 which he is determined to pursue.
“I have shared this longing to the staff of the Ministry of Agriculture in Vunidawa and we are slowly working towards it. Working with the Ministry of Agriculture has been a pleasure as assistance was bestowed with the instalment of my milking shed.
“Every long-term plan is slowly falling into place and I have made up my mind to remain with dairy farming because of its many benefits after my previous farming experience in crop production,” he said.
Ratu Semi has however not forgotten the crops entirely. He also plants dalo on his enriched, readily manured soil for family consumption and for use during family functions.
The dairy farmer believes everyone has the ability to invest in the land and move with resources available.
“Yaqona is one of the great factors that is affecting the brains of people nowadays. If they consume it moderately, plan their lives properly, surely they will be able to see the richness in agriculture,” he said.
“Being a dairy farmer requires a lot of attention, when I am busy milking, I not only think of the income but will always be thinking of those who will eventually make use of it.”
If at times you are frustrated about the cost of milk or its absence from your table, please take a moment to think of the struggles dairy farmers are going through.
* Serenia Vilele is an employee of the Ministry of Agriculture.
