Tilapia Farming - A Ray of Hope
Certain circumstances can either bring out the best or the worst in people, but they certainly can be a measure of a person’s faith and hope for a better tomorrow.
The recent job losses faced by thousands of people in the tourism sector is the sad reality being faced by countries all over the world due to the coronavirus pandemic.
It is certainly the time for decisions to be made, which will see individuals and families transform into the ‘new normal’.
For 35-year-old Jona Dilo and his wife, Marica Dilo, decisions had to be made in a span of a week as they planned and forecasted how they are going to move forward especially in extending and developing their farming venture.
Mr Dilo has always been the farmer and just expanded to tilapia farming last year while Marica was working for Fiji Airways as a ground staff member under the Customer Experience Department.
“Basically, we had to look after our Very Important Guests before they boarded their flights and also for VIPs entering the country. We ensured that they were prepared for their flights and their requests taken care of. We worked closely with the protocol team at the airport,” Ms Dilo said.
“Earlier this week, I was among the workers who was handed my termination letter and today I am a full time wife and farmer. I was expecting this to happen as the pandemic surged through countries and even entered our beloved Fiji. I was always following the local and global news and at the back of my mind, I knew that the repercussions would be felt in Fiji. Once I was handed my letter, I knew straight away that this was it,” an emotional Ms Dilo said.
“I had to gather my strength to relay the news back to my husband. After a few serious discussions, we knew that we had to stand up and change the situation around.”
Her bubbly personality shone through as she explained about her dreams and aspiration and of course moving forward with both feet firm on the ground.
“I was always supporting Jona and whatever he needed for the farm to thrive. Now I get to work with him and learn more about our farming business while enjoying his companionship,” she said proudly.
The soft spoken Mr Dilo said that everything happened for a reason but as firm religious people, they were walking in faith.
“We can continue sympathising or we can do something about it,” she said.
Background
Originally from Yako Village in Nadroga, Mr Dilo decided that he had to engage in a worthwhile venture as a landowner.
Many years back after finishing high school, he worked for a few months at Malolo Island and after gaining experience, he decided to attend a few classes on entrepreneurship.
“I built a small house in the village and thought to myself, If I can achieve this in a span of a few years after graduating from high school, imagine what I can achieve if I work harder,” he explained.
Mr Dilo started knocking on doors and sought advice from various Government departments.
“I am grateful for the support that has been rendered to me and I made sure that I didn’t give up when opportunities were lost,” he added.
He decided to try his luck on tilapia farming and sought advice from the Ministry of Fisheries.
“I also attended several trainings and was so intrigued. I knew straight away that I wanted to be involved in farming tilapia,” he said smiling.
He applied for the Food Security Project assistance last year and was successful.
Harvesting tilapia
The Ministry of Fisheries carried out pond construction works and provided piping, feed for his first cycle as well as frys (baby tilapia). Day in and day out, he looked after his pond as he knew, its success depended on him.
“We have been partially harvesting our tilapia from our first cycle and normally sell at $8 per kilogram at the Yako Supermarket,” he said proudly.
“I was very particular with the way I managed my farm and am grateful for the technical support of the ministry officials.”
Mr Dilo is the only person in Yako Village engaged in fish farming. “My wife and I moved into Uciwai Subdivision in January this year after our farm house was finally completed. It was indeed timely as we could monitor our farm and also tend to it as much as we wanted.” Mr Dilo added that he tried his best to encourage youths in the village to take up tilapia farming. “When I am selling outside the supermarket, I would chat with the men and women from the village and explain to them the processes of farming tilapia,” he said.
“Now is an even better time to venture into aquaculture as well as agricultural projects. I sincerely hope that people who are now unemployed will start seeking advice from the various ministries. We must remember that food security should be first and foremost.” He said there was so much idle land available which could be fully utilised.
“We really don’t know what the future holds. All we can do now is prepare ourselves. Start planting food in your backyards and if you have bigger land, please consult with Government departments that may able to assist especially in advising you with options,” he said.
Looking forward with a hopeful attitude
His wife said with the uncertainties ahead, we just have to keep moving forward.
“This is not the time to be moping around and counting your losses. Let us work together and help each other. In the villages and communities, we need to return to our ‘solesolevaki’ (working together) way of living and help out the elderly and physically challenged. They need our help more than ever.”
Mr Dilo is a member of the Barter for Better Fiji and recently traded frys from his pond for pineapple suckers.
“That is why Fiji is so unique because we genuinely care for our fellow Fijians,” he said.
He hopes to venture into pineapple farming and also add a few more crops to his growing farm. The Ministry of Fisheries is hoping that more people will follow Mr Dilo’s example.
Principal Fisheries Officer for the Western Division, Neomai Ravitu said that tilapia farming offered a lifeline to those who wished to engage especially as a source of food security.
“Please do not hesitate to visit any of our fisheries stations as officers will be able to advise you on steps to take especially if you are interested in aquaculture,” Ms Ravitu explained.
“Tilapia farming is a great option as people do not have to travel out to sea and spend hours in looking for fish. After four to five months, tilapia is matured and is often sold at $8-$10 per kilogram. It’s really very convenient as farm owners also have their own source of protein.
“Our reef systems continue to face a lot of stress because of overfishing. We can help our oceans to heal and produce more by growing our own fish.”
For Jona and Marica Dilo, there is always a silver lining to every grey cloud as they strive ahead with their farming business.
“We understand that it’s not going to be all rosy. The important thing is that we continue to move forward.”
The couple hope that their story will be an inspiration to others in the days ahead.
“If you have recently lost your job, it’s not the end of the world. Please shake off your troubles and worries, pick up where you had left off and make that first bold step towards a better and secure tomorrow.”
If there is one thing that the couple from Uciwai in Nadi teaches us, it’s that every success story comes with its fair share of challenges. It is how you turn it around to create something positive that matters.