Giving up is always the easy way out but this was certainly not true for Sukulu Soko from Northern Lau, who was a sailor turned successful farmer.
According to an article published by The Fiji Times on August 1, 1986, his regret was that he wasted the best years of his life away from the land.
After leaving school, Mr Soko left his village to join his father as a sailor in 1965, a venture he had hoped to spend the rest of his life in.
But after 10 years at sea, and because of illness, he was forced to retire.
It was during this illness while staying with relatives in Suva that he was offered a nine-acre land lease at Wainibuku in Nasinu.
After that he never looked back.
“I was fortunate to get leased on land during difficult times but there was a problem,” he said. “I came from the islands where people knew only how to plant cassava and kumala.
“Having spent most of my time as a sailor, I could not imagine how I could cope with farming.”
But that was the beginning of what Sukulu described as an enjoyable and self-satisfying career.
With limited security, finance and planting material, getting established was difficult for Soko.
“I had to rely on cassava and kumala, the only crop that I knew how to plant. Although I faced hardships, I had the interest within me.”
Inspired by the hope of good farming prospects, he called on the Ministry of Primary Industries for help. That was the beginning of a long-term relationship between Mr Sukulu and the Agriculture Extension staff.
The problems of development were challenging to him. Slowly he extended to other crops including papaw, dalo, tomatoes, maize, onion and other vegetables in the second year of farming.
He was able to completely cultivate the whole nine acres of his land with different crops.
“If a farmer is not careful, in the first year of farming, he won’t feel the real life of being a farmer. Courage, determination, incentive and commitment to work every day is the secret tools to being a successful farmer. I owe so much to MPI extension staff for what I’ve achieved.”
Mr Soko also borrowed from the Fiji Development Bank for his farmhouse, which cost him over $2000.
His first three months payment was due in July that year. He was able to pay $700.
“I should completely pay off my loan within two years from the produce that I sell daily. I can easily pay my loan during the first year. There is no excuse for farmers to have bad debts because of late payments. Farming is good because I’m free to do what I want and better still is the joy of seeing the results of my handiwork.”
