A yaqona farmer from Nadogo in Vanua Levu is calling on youths involved in drugs to return to their villages and take up farming as a better way to earn a living.
While speaking to fijivillage News, 32-year-old Isireli Uluinakubou says there is good money in farming, especially with the rapid increase in the price of grog in the North.
He says the price of grog has increased to around $200 per kilogram due to high demand and the availability of overseas markets.
According to Uluinakubou, large quantities of grog from the North are now being exported to overseas markets, contributing to the price increase.
He revealed that he earns around $500 a day from farming, which he uses to buy groceries and provide for his children.
He stresses that many young people are becoming involved in drugs and urged them to focus on farming crops such as dalo, cassava, and grog instead.
The farmer says Fiji has plenty of natural resources, and youths should make use of them to earn an honest income for their families rather than getting involved in illegal activities.
He also highlighted cyclones as one of the major challenges faced by farmers, saying natural disasters often destroy crops and affect their source of income.
The farmer is advising youths across the country to stay away from drugs and return to farming, saying agriculture can provide a stable and respectable livelihood.
