New community centre
WHEN the new community centre at Yalavou, Nadroga, was opened, Australian High Commissioner Raymond Greet said the sale of goats would be the first income to the farmers from livestock as 100 of the furry animals were expected to be sold on Easter that year.
He told those present that the cattle raising project would become a rewarding business, but a lot of “hard work, perseverance and tenacity will be required to win success”.
According to a report in The Fiji Times on March 23, 1981, he congratulated those who had taken part in the project for what had already been achieved.
Australia had provided $3.5 million with equipment and expertise, which was to continue until the end of 1983.
The successes of the project so far, he said, had been due to the effective leadership of the Yalavou Rural Development Board, and the efforts of the farmers.
The community hall showed that there was a spirit of cooperation and unity in the project.
It would provide a meeting place for farmers and their families and a room had been set aside for health services.
There was also interest in starting a primary school in the hall.
He congratulated Filimoni Nalatu, the new chairman of the Yalavou Rural Development Board, who had taken over from Doug Brown at a “challenging and interesting stage” of the project.
Mr Greet said it was not his task to review the progress of the Yalavou Project, but it was important to note that the Yalavou Project had settled more than 70 farms and opened about 92 kilometres of roads.
“All this had happened in less than three years and was undoubtedly an achievement of which everyone involved in the project can be proud,” Mr Greet said.
“Our involvement will continue until the project is over its peak rate of development, which is expected to continue until the end of 1983.”
At the end of December 1980, Australia had contributed $3.5 million towards the cost of providing equipment for road building and farm development, technical and management expertise, as well as assistance with general operating costs.
Yalavou was the largest joint venture between Fiji and Australia, he said.
“The successes achieved so far are due, on the one hand, to the effective leadership exercised by the Yalavou Rural Development Board and, on the other, to the efforts of the individual farmers themselves.”
The mataqali representatives on the board were also complimented for a great deal of extra time outside normal board meetings. This showed their keenness and enthusiasm to make the Yalavou Project a success, he added.
He said the fact that the farmers had achieved so much so far through their sheer hard work was a good sign.
“We know there is a tendency sometimes to look into the next field and think that the grass is greener there. Here in Fiji, sugar may be thought of as giving a quicker return for less effort, and that beef farming is less attractive. The reality is, however, that sugar grows only in certain limited areas. Here up on these highlands, beef cattle raising is your business. It will be a rewarding business, but a lot of hard work, perseverance and tenacity will be required in order to win success.”
The success of the Yalavou Project was due, to the spirit of unity and corporation which existed since the project’s inception. The community hall, Mr Greet said, symbolised that spirit of co-operation and unity.
In closing, Mr Greet said he was sure that everyone present appreciated fully the great challenge the Yalavou Project represented, both to the individual farmers and their families and to the Government itself.
“The project has already attracted a great deal of interest in Fiji and in the Pacific region. It is interesting that the name Yalavou, in Fijian, means “new boundary”.
This seemed most appropriate because the project was indeed breaking new boundaries in seeking to achieve a marriage of traditional Fijian ways of life and commercial endeavour. It was possible that so-called experts would come to Fiji from time to time, and on the basis of brief impressions offer their opinions and conclusions to the world at large.
“This is a most exciting project and one which deserves strong support. The Australian Government is proud to be associated with and I regard it as a privilege to have been invited here to participate in the opening of your community centre.”