Page 38 - Islands Business January 2021

Top left: Balmindar Singh Right: Isikeli Tavuki with his wife Bale
Karyon: improving crop yields, reducing hidden hunger

Vanua Levu farmer, Isikeli is one of the many Fijians who saw his property have observed long shelf lives of our vegetables, and this is particularly good
destroyed during Tropical Cyclone Yasa in late 2020. The roof of his home for Vanua Levu farmers, [and] for maritime farmers because one of their
came off in the strong winds. But the first thing he is doing to recover challenges is how they get fresh produce into the market. Most of the time,
from the cyclone is to work on his crops, and he is relying on a liquid soil because of the freight and long shipping hours, by the time it reaches Suva,
conditioner and soil microbial stimulant, Karyon, to help him do just that. the crop loses its quality and its appearance.
Karyon Organic is made from plant by-products and is fully organic. It is “We’re hoping that by getting Karyon to the maritime islands, they are able
not a fertiliser and is meant to be used in combination with fertiliser, whether to compete with local, rural, open farmers into the same market. So, it’s not
organic or chemical. This is because Karyon does a job that fertilisers do not only fresh looking, but also sweeter than the normal conventional crops that
do. While fertilisers add nutrients into the soil, Karyon looks after the soil are harvested in Suva.”
ecology and micro-organism population. “One of the missions of the Karyon company based in India is to help end
“We started using Karyon early this year, before COVID,” Isikeli says. “I was hidden hunger,” says Hanisi Hodge, Marketing Officer for Karyon Organic
given instructions on how to use it on my dalo, kumala. I saw how different Fiji. Hidden hunger is the lack of vitamins and minerals that we face when
it was, how it worked. the quality of food we eat does not meet our nutrient requirements. This
“I used it on kumala plants that didn’t bear kumala before. [Now] when you happens when food is deficient of micronutrients, trace elements, vitamins
dig them, the kumala is really good,” says Isikeli, who also grows watermelon and minerals—all of which are essential for healthy human growth and
and cucumber, and plans to plant ginger and capsicum. development.
The improved crop yields Isikeli has experienced mean he has been able “Geologist David Thomas who did his research and published his findings
to reinvest in the farm. Isikeli and his wife Bale used to hire tractors but now have found that a plate of broccoli today has like a quarter of the nutritional
they can afford to buy their own. value that a plate of broccoli would have had in the 1980s. In terms of
Karyon is produced in Pune, India, and Samisoni Enterprises is the regional trace elements, vitamins and nutrients, we’ve seen a global decrease in the
distributor of Karyon Organic in the South Pacific, including Australia and nutritional value of like fruits and vegetables, so you have to actually eat
New Zealand. Karyon Organic Fiji Field Manager Jope Koroisavou says while more in order to get the same vitamins and minerals that you would have
they don’t know exactly how many Fijian farmers are already using the soil gotten 20 years ago,” Hodge says. “Part of the reason they invented the
conditioner, they think it is more than 3000, ranging from backyard planters product is because they realised that the chemical fertilisers that we’re using
to fully commercial farmers. are actually killing the micro-organisms in the soil. When you continually use
Balmindar Singh from Waito, Wainibuka, Tailevu is a fourth generation chemical fertilisers those microbes die, but the Karyon product brings them
farmer, growing ginger, watermelon, bongo chillies and Tausala dalo on a back, and one of the benefits of bringing them back is that the nutritional
commercial basis, and selling his produce to Fiji’s Agromarketing Authority. value of plants improves.”
Balmindar has been using Karyon for the past five months, after being Samisoni Enterprises hopes to work with locally based scientists to test
introduced to it by word of mouth. the nutritional value of vegetables grown in Karyon-enriched soil.
“I have seen the size of my produce grow bigger in size and the soil has The company is also planning to release a TC Yasa package for farmers
been enriched for other products. If I plant some other crops, I don’t need affected by the recent cyclone to help them re-establish their farms says
to apply Karyon again. The soil has been enriched through the application Koroisavou. They also hope to expand into the wider Pacific market. “We’ve
that has been used for the prior product. Before, I was using conventional sent samples over to New Zealand, Australia, a couple of islands and our first
fertilisers, I’ve reduced the amount used. I’m fully dependent on Karyon purchase this month went to Tonga,” Koroisavou says.
because the output is very great. The yields are better, the yields are healthier
and bigger in size.” To find out more about Karyon, contact:
“One of the advantages of Karyon is shelf life,” says Koroisavou. “We Phone: +679 777 1252 • Email: sepl.ta.karyonfiji@gmail.com
Facebook: Karyon Organic Fiji
38 Islands Business, January 2021