{"id":391,"date":"2022-01-17T01:49:43","date_gmt":"2022-01-17T01:49:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/?p=391"},"modified":"2022-01-28T22:27:32","modified_gmt":"2022-01-28T22:27:32","slug":"a-passionate-fiji-farmer-perseveres-through-changing-weather-patterns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/2022\/01\/17\/a-passionate-fiji-farmer-perseveres-through-changing-weather-patterns\/","title":{"rendered":"A passionate Fiji farmer perseveres through changing weather patterns"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong><em>By Kelera Ditaiki<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap\">Laisiasa Waqamoce is a farmer at heart. He grew up on a farm in northern Fiji called Vanua Levu, where his parents were Kava and sugarcane farmers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-media-text alignwide is-stacked-on-mobile is-image-fill has-white-background-color has-background\" style=\"grid-template-columns:32% auto\"><figure class=\"wp-block-media-text__media\" style=\"background-image:url(https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Kelera01-769x1024.jpg);background-position:57.99999999999999% 36%\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"769\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Kelera01-769x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-575 size-full\" srcset=\"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Kelera01-769x1024.jpg 769w, https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Kelera01-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Kelera01-768x1023.jpg 768w, https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Kelera01.jpg 1126w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 769px) 100vw, 769px\" \/><\/figure><div class=\"wp-block-media-text__content\">\n<p style=\"font-size:28px;line-height:1.3\">\u201cFarming is what I became familiar with and what I am passionate about.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Laisiasa Waqamoce<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-extra-small-font-size\">Left: Laisiasa Waqamoce is standing in front of the agriculture headquarters in Naqali, where he sells his harvested crops all year round. <i>Photo courtesy of Laisiasa Waqamoce<\/i> <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, he manages a three-acre farm with his wife in Vuniniudrovu, located in central Fiji. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio alignright\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Kelera_Final-Mix_ENGLISH_mixdown_02.wav\"><\/audio><figcaption>Listen to Laisiasa Waqamoce&#8217;s story<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMy brother-in-law leased the land to me so I can cultivate it,\u201d Waqamoce said. \u201cTo make sure the money from the crops goes back to the village.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For seven years, Waqamoce has been planting root crops like cassava and Taro, and vegetables ranging from eggplant to cabbage. His favorite crop is vegetables. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Kelera04-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-572\" srcset=\"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Kelera04-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Kelera04-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Kelera04-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Kelera04.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Laisiasa\u2019s field of taro, a vegetable root crop, that he grows all season he and his family depend on for long-term income. <i>Photo by Kelera Ditaiki<\/i>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe main reason is that it brings in fast money,\u201d he said. Vegetables are easy to plant, they mature faster, and are in high demand at the market where Waqamoce goes to sell his crops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When Category 1 Cyclone Cody recently hit the nation on Jan. 6-14,  Waqamoce\u2019s farm was flooded and his vegetables and root crops were washed away. Over the years, he has been experiencing setbacks on his farm because of the change in weather patterns. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI live near a big river so when it rains, we are usually affected all the time and the crops are washed away,\u201d Waqamoce said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Kelera03-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-573\" srcset=\"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Kelera03-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Kelera03-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Kelera03-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Kelera03.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>The Waimanu River flows between Laisiasa\u2019s farm and the Vuniniudrovu village where Laisiasa sells his crops. The Waimanu river regularly floods with heavy rain yet it is the only way Laisiasa can access the village. <i>Photo by Kelera Ditaiki<\/i>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Cyclone Cody flooded the Waimanu River that lies between Waqamoce\u2019s farm and the village. This happens often during hurricane season which lasts from November until April and in turn, affects the sale of his crops. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOnce we are affected by the sudden change in weather we cannot plant crops since we do not know what to plant,\u201d he said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Waqamoce and his family\u2019s main source of income is farming. His short-term income source is vegetables, and his long-term income is root crops. He mainly sells his crop by the roadside in Vuniniudrovu. He used to earn $90 a week but now, only earns $10-$15 a day.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Kelera02-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-574\" srcset=\"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Kelera02-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Kelera02-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Kelera02-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Kelera02.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Laisiasa walks through his field of cassava, a root vegetable, that he harvests during the cool and dry season from May to October. <i>Photo by Kelera Ditaiki<\/i>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Transportation is another major problem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOnce you harvest your crop, a bamboo raft transports the crop from the village to the other side of the river bank,\u201d Waqamoce said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This has been the only means of transportation in the village but he hopes in two years a road is built. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe cannot be transporting crops by raft every time,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have to keep in mind that climate change will come and we cannot stop it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"763\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Kelera05-763x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-571\" srcset=\"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Kelera05-763x1024.jpg 763w, https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Kelera05-224x300.jpg 224w, https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Kelera05-768x1030.jpg 768w, https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/51\/2022\/01\/Kelera05.jpg 1118w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 763px) 100vw, 763px\" \/><figcaption>This courtesy photo from the agriculture headquarters in Naqali at Laisiasa\u2019s shows eggplant seedlings that help to speed up the planting season during the dry season. <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite the challenges, Waqamoce considers them as a part of life. Nevertheless, he is attentive to opportunities and has adapted to plant vegetables and root crops that can survive both wet and dry seasons, such as yam. He has also used his savings to buy himself a tractor to help in cultivating and plowing the land and a twin cab (pick-up truck) to help in the supply and transporting the crops to the market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe cannot control the weather as God can,\u201d Waqamoce said. \u201cThere is only one thing climate change has taught me \u2013 we should not give up, we just have to move forward.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When Category 1 Cyclone Cody recently hit the nation on Jan. 6-14,  Waqamoce\u2019s farm was flooded and his vegetables and root crops were washed away. Over the years, he has been experiencing setbacks on his farm because of the change in weather patterns. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":487,"featured_media":493,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"coauthors":[12],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/391"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/487"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=391"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/391\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/493"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=391"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=391"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=391"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usp.nextgenradio.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=391"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}