Idea of cattle farming
IT is widely believed that cattle farming was introduced to Fiji by Christian missionaries in the early 1830s, during the colonial period.
At the time, cattle were only owned by early missionaries and by the European estate owners with very limited to no participation by the Fijians.
An article in The Fiji Times on August 13, 1985, describing the history of cattle farming in Fiji reported the first regular attempt at breeding cattle was said to have taken place on Wakaya Island some 30 years after the animals were introduced. Since then, small scale cattle farming grew and had spread to other parts of Viti Levu namely Tailevu, Suva, Navua, Taveuni, Bua and parts of Vanua Levu.
By the 1930s, a notable American called J J Baker had a 100,000 acre ranch operating at Tova in the Ra province which maintained 31,478 animals. This was considered the biggest cattle farm at the time.
He also operated a small cannery for the local, Tongan and Samoan markets but had to shut it down because of the world depression in 1930.
A cyclone that year also forced him to shut down his business.
It wasn’t until 1962 did the Fijian community started to operate a small commercial beef operation while setting up a beef scheme in Verata, Tailevu.
This concept to that beef farm was later adopted at Tilivalevu Beef Scheme, Nadroga.
This led to similar projects being conducted and followed in other parts of Fiji; namely at Waidina,
Naitasiri, Sawakasa, Wainibuka, Namosi, Ra and in Vanua Levu in 1967.
Other small-time farmers started to adopt the idea of cattle farming into their sugarcane and copra plantation and feeding areas for the cattle. Though small, they all had contributed to the growth of Fiji’s beef industry.
The main breed of cattle that was taken to farms around the country was the Brahmin, because it was the most common cattle brought to the country by the early missionaries. The breed Santa Gertrudis specie was not introduced to Fiji until 1954.
The importation of Herefords and Angus cattle followed with the dairy breeds like Friesian, Jersey, and Shorthorn in the early 1960.
The Brahmin and European breed crosses were identified for sometime to be the most suitable for the oceanic tropical Fiji.
During the government’s development program seven and eight (DP7 and DP8) from 1976-1980 and 1981-1985 respectively, emphasis was given to attain self-sufficiency.
This led to the development of large cattle projects at Uluisaivou (Ra) and Yalavou (Nadroga).
Through New Zealand and Australian aid assistance; more small-scale farms were developed throughout Fiji, funded by the Fiji Development Bank.
With increased participation by Fijians, 63 per cent self sufficiency in beef was achieved in 1984 and this figure was expected to gradually increase over the next five years.
The importance of bull selection was something that needed to be emphasized on to farmers as it was the cheapest and quickest way of improving the genetic material of a beef herd.
Farmers had to have the sound basics of good stock control, stockyards; improved pastures, simple records and effective financial control to be successful.