More farmers in the North are planting marijuana than dalo and cassava, according to Fiji Agromarketing North manager Ratu Nemia Leve.
He told the medicinal cannabis consultations in Savusavu the farmers had turned to planting cannabis because it was easy money.
Ratu Nemia said cannabis matured in three months.
He said sale of marijuana was also more lucrative when compared with crops such as cassava.
“Marijuana is found in places where you couldn’t find it before, from Saqani to Udu Point,” Ratu Nemia said.
“This is based on my personal observations because I try to make a trip twice a month around the North to visit farmers. I enquire with them why they do not plant root crops anymore and they tell me marijuana is easy money. For root crops, they’ll need to hire a carrier to go and sell their produce at the market while for cannabis, they just need a bag.”
Ratu Nemia said it was important for the medicinal cannabis consultation team to visit villages and raise awareness.
“They need to hear from the horse’s mouth that the cannabis they are planting will not be used for export. There’s been a lot of misinformation on the legalisation of cannabis in villages. It is important for them to hear from you. Cultivation of illicit cannabis may have increased over the last few weeks due to the misinformation.”
Ministry of Trade chief business advisor Ateca Rounds said representatives from the iTaukei Affairs Ministry would visit villages to raise awareness.
She said this would also put a stop to the misinformation being spread in communities.
- Nacanieli Tuilevuka is a freelance journalist based in the North.
