Recipient acknowledges Government grant
THE timely contribution from the Fiji Government to support my business has been crucial in my success of being a small business owner. This was relayed by the recipient of an egg grading machine by the Ministry of Agriculture, Ratish Chandra, of Wainisasa in Baulevu, Naitasiri, who continues to yield the benefits of the grant.
“I have been managing a poultry farm layer egg business for the past 18 years and my dad used to do it before me as it is a family business which we continued to grow,”
Mr Chandra highlighted. “We used to have between 400 to 500 chickens and during my school days, I used to collect the eggs by hand and sort it in three grades – large, medium and small; and sell it from our stall in the Nausori market.”
“Gradually, the amount of layer birds increased to 5000 and it was getting difficult to grade the eggs by hand, therefore, I am grateful to the Fiji Government for providing me with an egg grading machine in 2016 which has really reduced my workload,” he added. Mr Chandra said that ever since receiving the egg grading machine, his customers have been provided with the actual and real size of the egg.
“We used to think that there used to be only three size of eggs but in reality, there are seven different grading sizes which this machine does.
“The size of the egg is small when the chicken starts laying for the first time and the size gradually increases,” he said.
“We raise the chickens up to 18 weeks where they are ready to lay the first egg and we keep them for another 72 to 90 weeks and monitor them and then sell them.”
“I was in class one when I started doing this and it is something which we have managed to continue and progress in,” he said.
“My wife and three children help me during their schools break and I have three permanent staff,” he added. The 50-year-old said maintaining an egg business was not easy as there was a lot of competition in the market and the markup was very high.
“I order the chicks from New Zealand which is not easy as we pay for the import, transportation and its vaccination cost, which is high, however, if there is a market demand for our produce then we will definitely expand the business further.”
Delving into his background, Mr Chandra said, “I completed Form Six (Year 12) and started working at the Fiji Sugar Corporation in Lautoka for four years and when my dad passed away, I came home to look after the business as my seven brothers were living overseas”. He believes that if he was still working for someone then he would not have come this far in life and be able to send his three children to universities through the business.
“You need to fully commit yourself in making a business a success and seek advice from the Ministry of Agriculture as I have learnt a lot from them which has led my business to succeed,” he said. “Also, the major challenge a farmer faces are shortage of labour as it is hard to find reliable people particularly minimum wage earners, therefore, I brought in labourers from Ono-i-Lau,” he added.
“I received the Layer Farmer of the Year Award in 2017 under the Small Farmers Award and I thank the Ministry for greatly assisting me while monitoring the progress and advising me on the proper way of doing things.”
“I also make extra income through vegetable, dalo and ginger farming and I use the manure from the chicken,” Mr Chandra added.
He adds that time is a major factor in farming noting that “if you are not timely in your work then you won’t go far.”