Page 11 - IB August 2020

Fiji Fiji

Tourism Operator turns to Farming

Meeting Jay Whyte on the seat of a tractor is
confirmation enough of how dramatic the world
has changed since the onset of the COVID-19
pandemic.
Under the old normal, you generally picture
the businessman busy with his Sigatoka River
Safari business, catering for tourists seeking
the thrill of jet boat rides up the town’s winding
river, or busy meeting and planning the next
Coral Coast 7s Tournament, a weekend of rugby
sevens competition among local and overseas
teams, usually held at the start of the year.
“You’ve always got to look for the positive in
any situation. In terms of business, we are stuck
in a bit of a limbo, not knowing when and how
soon things could potentially open up. But in
the meantime, we’ve just got to make the best
of what we have. Those that have got access to
farmland, do farming, those that live near the
ocean are out there fishing. “

Jay Whyte ploughs up new rows to grow watermelon, long bean, corn and capsicum. He also plants tobacco on his six-acre farm in the Sigatoka Valley.

ness. Almost all (99%) said the government should do more few former hotel workers who live at the Naqere Public Hous-
to protect their jobs and rights, “instead of depleting their ing estate in Savusavu.
retirement fund.” To survive, many of these unemployed workers have started
In our 17-day tour of Fiji’s two islands, we saw indigenous small business selling vegetables and root crops, catering,
Fijian villages falling back to their aged old practices in re- handicrafts, or small grocery canteens, although no one knows
sponse to the economic dislocations the pandemic caused. the total number of workers involved.
Most take their wares to flea markets that have popped up
The communal safety net in Lautoka, Nadi, Sigatoka, Suva and Savusavu. This option
Through solesolevaki, villagers collectively work on cultivat- has been especially popular among a large number of the 758
ing each other’s food gardens, and their needs – be it food, workers Fiji Airways fired without warning, as well as the 258
medicine, or cash – are met through kerekere, by asking or staff who had their contracts terminated by Air Terminal Ser-
borrowing from a neighbour or relative. vices – the company responsible for ground handling at Nadi
Such practices are by no means a perfect cure to their International Airport.
economic woes, but after being left without work with little Some others are taking advantage of short-term training
warning, they have been able to go back to the land and sea. offered by non- governmental organisations like FRIEND – the
There was no prompting from the national government, and Foundation for Rural Integrated Enterprises and Develop-
our nearly three-week tour showed that these workers were ment – to learn new skills and job opportunities. An unknown
somewhat better off than their counterparts who live outside number have packed up and return with their families to their
these villages, and do not have easy access to farm lands to villages, free therefore from the economic burden of paying
till, or fishing grounds to fish. house rental or city or town rates.
Outside Fijian villages, in city or town suburbs, workers Another big unknown is the future of those in the infor-
have to either buy or lease a land or house to live in. Here, mal sector who have been badly impacted by the COVID19
they have rates, mortgages or rents to pay. pandemic. These include casual labourers, domestic workers
Some benefitted from a government-initiated rent reprieve and market vendors, with a large proportion of these be-
scheme earlier on. ing women. Nalini Singh, the Fiji Women’s Rights Movement
This, the Islands Business team discovered, was the case for director said women make up 40% of rural farmers and 85% of
hotel workers who rent in the public housing estate of Votua market vendors in the country.
on the Coral Coast. The IFC report suggests the Fiji government consider further
However these tenants say rent assistance was only tempo- short-term coverage of informal businesses beyond the F$150
rary and that they would still have to pay these rent arrears relief payment they can already access.
once they return to work. FRIEND – using its own funds as well as donor funding -
It appears that the schemes do not extend to all tenants specifically works on assisting this group of people. Its founder
who lost their work, as our team learnt when they spoke to a and director Sashi Kiran said the NGO distributes 1000 food

Islands Business, August 2020 11