Kumar scoops award
THE FIJI TIMES
ORGANISING competitions is a great way to generate interest as a means to develop a sector.
This was evident when Vijay Kumar of Durumoli near Keyasi in Nadroga, was presented two silver cups, a gold medallion and a return ticket to New Zealand with pocket money for being the first recipient of the Young Farmer of the Year award in 1982.
According to an article published by The Fiji Times on July 1, 1983, the regional manager of the Bank of New Zealand, Allan Hannay, presented the award and prizes at a formal ceremony on the farm.
The Young Farmer of the Year competition began in 1982 by the Ministry of Agriculture and sponsored by the Bank of New Zealand with the Royal Agricultural Society of New Zealand.
The Bank of New Zealand provided the airfare and pocket money for Mr Kumar’s two-month trip.
About 200 people attended the ceremony. Among the guests were the High Commissioner of New Zealand Lindsay Watt, the Divisional Planning Officer Western Farouk Sahu
Khan and the Minister for Agriculture Jonati Mavoa.
In his address, Mr Mavoa said the main objective of the competition was to create enthusiasm among young farmers to systematically develop land.
“This will entail use of personal financial resources or even resorting to seeking loan from the Fiji Development Bank or commercial banks, including the Bank of New Zealand, making use of family or higher labour and finally bringing lead into planned optimum production,” Mr Mavoa said.
“In other words, this award is intended to serve as an incentive to young farmers to look at farming more as a ‘business enterprise’ which required some knowledge of business principles. This would necessarily mean a change of outlook and attitude towards farming as an occupation and not as something to escape from.
“Farming involves much more than just the physical work; it requires planning to achieve better use of the available resources, how to achieve better yields, and to maximise returns and no less important how to dispose your farm’s earnings.”
He said that in the selection of the winner of the award for 1982, an important point which the judges took into account was the ability to be of help to others in passing on advice.
In other words, the winner would be aided through services carried out by the extension offices of the Ministry of Agriculture.
Farming involves much more
than just the physical work; it requires planning to achieve better use of the available
resources
Mr Jonati Mavoa