Livestock farmer, 55-year-old Mohammed Irshad of Namasimasi settlement in Nadi has worked day in, day out, to reach his dream of becoming his own boss.
Grazing on his 1600 acres of land are goats, sheep and cattle which makes him a constant supplier of animals to the abattoir in Vuda, Lautoka.
Mohammed is thankful that the land he pours out his heart and mind too is something he has managed to keep as somewhat that can be described as a “family heirloom”.
“This land belongs to my family and I was given the responsibility by my parents to look after it,” he said.
“Livestock farming is the main source of income for our family as it has been passed down to us from our forefathers because they saw the potential in it.”
Life on the farm is a life of sacrifice, and for Mohammed, this means jumping to an early start before the sun rises continuing to when the sun sets.
“I work on my farm from early morning until late at night to make a better living for me and my family,” he said.
“I will never forget my humble beginnings and I am happy that I am finally the owner of my own farm,” he said.
Mohammed says with the income earned from his farming business, he has been able to support his four children’s education and the needs of his family.
He also employs full-time labourers to work with him.
“With the income from the farm I have managed to provide better education for my children and bought trucks, bulldozer and other heavy machinery for farm activities and transportation.
“To me, dedication and hard work are reasons I have achieved a lot from my farm.”
Mohammed has been a consistent supplier to the abattoir in Vuda and also slaughters the steers at his farm during Qurbani (Islamic month of sacrifices). The carcass is inspected by the meat inspectors from the Ministry of Agriculture’s Animal Health & Production Division before it is sold.
Mohammed admits he has faced challenges over the years and said he could not do anything about natural disasters.
“During the 2012 flooding I lost about 200 goats but it did not hinder my work.”
The hardworking farmer says that come hail, rain or storm, he will continue with his farming activities.
The Ministry of Agriculture in 2012 offered assistance to Mohammed’s farming business through its Import Substitution Program to help him improve farm pasture and to improve stock yard as well as assist with proper fencing for the safekeeping of the animals.
Locality livestock officer based at the Nadi Agriculture Office, Vaciseva Nabola said Mohammed was one of the farmers who had met the criteria for assistance and he had since proved himself.
“He has since managed to increase his stock and the nearby farmers buy cattle from him for stock improvement,” Ms Nabola said.
Mohammed has planted four acres of pasture to ensure all his livestock have the best grass for grazing.
“I feed these farm animals with pasture grass and supplementary feed which is ideal for livestock farming,” he explained.
Mohammed plans to plant more pasture on his land so his livestock can graze on the vast land area.
“I have learnt so many things from the ministry when looking after animals like the proper care, treatment and even do business that must be carried out on the livestock farm,” he said.
Mohammed continues to work closely with the livestock officers based at the Nadi Agriculture Station and always seeks technical advice on livestock farming from them
He believes that in order for a farmer to prosper, he or she should be able to carry out their own research and keep themselves updated on the various technologies that are available for farming.
* Maria Laqeta is an employee of the Agriculture Ministry.
