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Agriculture leases gain popularity
MANY people in the country have shown interest in securing agricultural leases. Ministry of Agriculture permanent secretary Ropate Ligairi said the interest indicated that people were gradually turning to farming for a living."Right now, we are working with the Lands Department to identify all the idle agricultural land throughout the country," Mr Ligairi said."This is one of the ...
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Relief for rice farmers
IN an effort to revitalise the rice industry, the government has donated a swamp dozer to farmers in Dreketi, Macuata on Thursday. Ministry of Agriculture director for extension services Vatimi Rayalu said the new machine, worth $370,000, would greatly assist farmers in the North with rice cultivation.Mr Rayalu said in the past, Fiji used to produce between 11 and 12 thousand tonnes of rice ...
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Educationists address sex and drugs in schools
THE Education Department has taken steps to address the alarming cases of sex and drug offences in the Western Division. Divisional education officer Lorima Voravora said religious and traditional leaders were approached to assist the department in reducing offences in schools.The ministry revealed 291 cases of sex and drug offences in schools were recorded in the West between 2009 and ...
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Isimeli wins back lost gold in jump
THE breeze did not favour him on day one when he lost in the senior boy's long jump to Natabua High School's Sireli Bulivorovoro. But Marist Brothers High School jump sensation Simione Isimeli was happy he finally got his revenge over his counterpart in the triple jump event yesterday.The Galoa lad from Serua broke the senior boy's long jump on day one before Bulivorovoro's ...
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Nalaga in Euro final
DUBLIN - NADROGA man Napolioni Nalaga will be a key player for his Clermont side when they face Toulon in the European Cup final today. Nalaga has been part of Clermont's powerful combination this year and will be looking to end his season on a high with a win.Iconic English five-eighth Jonny Wilkinson will also seek to add a continental crown to his honours for his Toulon club against ...
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Plans to boost dairy industry
PLANS are in progress to boost the dairy industry in the Western Division with 36 farmers being registered as pioneers of the dairy industry in the division. Senior Agricultural Officer for the Animal Health and Production Division Napolioni Seru said training had been held for these farmers on how to best manage their farms."We had conducted our first Basic Dairy Management farmers ...
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Vaturova runner returns to win 3000m gold
YOU learn from your mistakes. That's what Kelemete Sau did. The Vaturova Koroalau High School student entered last year's open boys 3000 metres final, was beaten and settled for a silver medal.The boy from Vanuvou, Vaturova, Cakaudrove, went back home, worked on his error, came back after 12 months and ran the perfect race.Sau scooped gold in the 3000 metres open boys final at the ANZ ...
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District pride motivates Naicker
HE represented his district on the soccer field as a youngster and is proud to be still associated with the team. Despite whatever hurdles there were then, players still turned up for matches and at camps with the determination to make the starting line-up.It was a time when there was district pride, although players were not being paid a single cent to play for their district.Those were the ...
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Fiji to meet requirements
FIJI is the only country in the Pacific that has to meet market access regulations set up by the EU before necessary steps are taken by the European body to ratify the Economic Partnership Agreement in October, 2014. Head of the EU delegation to the Pacific Andrew Jacobs said the market access regulation only covered countries that concluded the EPAs with the EU in 2007."In the Pacific ...
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Waratahs select Ryan in starting line-up
SYDNEY - Prop Paddy Ryan will make his fourth start this season as the NSW Waratahs try to keep their Super Rugby finals hopes flickering with victory over the Brumbies in tonight's Australian conference derby in Sydney. Ryan's inclusion at tighthead prop in place of Sekope Kepu is one of two changes to the side that last week edged the Stormers 21-15, with Wallabies winger Drew ...
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Officers to monitor smoking
THE Ministry of Health's Tobacco Control Unit will soon empower more officers in order to have an effective Tobacco Control Decree and Tobacco Control Regulation 2012. The officers who will monitor people smoking in prohibited public places are expected to begin in two months.And those found offending can be penalised under the Decree.At a meeting in Labasa yesterday, unit officer in ...
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Unrealistic end to EPA talks
THE conclusion of negotiations between the European Union and Pacific Island states on a comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) on the export of fish products to Europe by June or July this year is unrealistic. This was the comment made by the head of the EU delegation to the Pacific, Andrew Jacobs, while speaking to Pacific ACP leaders in Nadi."One of the issues raised was the ...
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Federation faces child labour challenges
REACHING out to rural areas to spread information on child labour issues has been a challenge for the Fiji Commerce and Employers Federation. Federation CEO Nesbitt Hazelman said such challenges led them to use existing mechanisms in rural areas."Reaching out to rural areas is a challenge at the moment for us to raise awareness about child labour when it comes to agricultural farm work ...
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England soccer offers Beckham top job
DAVID BECKHAM was last night urged to stick with England and take a top job at the FA. The Three Lions legend, 38, yesterday announced his retirement from football.And FA chairman David Bernstein immediately called for the former England captain to become the country's "lead football figure".National boss Roy Hodgson also insisted Beckham should be given a role when he hangs up ...
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Gale takes rugby fame to the tracks
SHE hails from a village best known for rugby players. Keasi Gale is used to seeing boys from her area getting together to throw around the oval ball at every opportunity.There is barely any interest in athletics at Dratabu Village, Nadi, but Gale is keen to change that."I like it, it's my first Coca-Cola Games and I am happy to win," said the soft-spoken lass.The Nadi College ...
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Anthony leads Knicks to elimination victory
NEW YORK - Carmelo Anthony had a game-high 28 points as the New York Knicks staved off elimination yesterday with a wire-to-wire 85-75 victory over Indiana in game five of their second-round NBA playoff series. JR Smith and Chris Copeland came off the bench to score 13 points each for the Knicks, who closed the Eastern Conference contest on a 10-4 scoring run in front of a crowd of 19,033 at ...
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Remand for kill accused
A 20-YEAR-old Sigatoka man has been charged with the murder of 38-year-old Manasa Nawaikula last Saturday night. Ronald Singh appeared before magistrate Siromi Dokonivalu Turaga at the Sigatoka Magistrates Court.It is alleged that the deceased fell on a concrete floor after he was punched by the accused when an argument developed during a drinking party.Police prosecutor Inspector Anil Prasad ...
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Gates to stop flooding
THE people of Dreketi district in Rewa are able to extend their farms and are not likely to face flooding problems in the future. This after the completion of floodgates which will benefit about 700 villagers in the district.Senior agricultural and Land Water Resource Management officer Davendra Prasad said the project costed $233,000.He said villagers requested the government for help as sea ...
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Chalking event offers avenue for expression
TO mark International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT), members of the Drodrolagi Movement organised a rainbow chalking event at the Fiji National University Pasifika Campus yesterday. Drodrolagi Movement spokesman Kris Prasad said the event was the first for Fiji and it gave homophobia and transphobia a chance to express themselves through messages they wrote at the chalking ...
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Lautoka hockey starts season with six-a-side competition
THE Lautoka Hockey Association (LHA) will host a 6-a-side competition today to get its season in progress. LHA secretary Martin Coffin said they needed a good competition to provide players with a good platform to start the season."The 6-a-side is what we have chosen and we are expecting a competition day tomorrow (today)," he said. Only five men's teams will be competing in the ...
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Read back for Crusaders
CHRISTCHURCH - Crusaders skipper Kieran Read has declared himself mentally and physically ready for his return to Super Rugby and a clash with arch-rivals the Blues in Christchurch. The All Blacks No.8, who has been out for almost two months because of injury, skipped about like a new-born lamb at the Crusaders' final training on Thursday.He intimated he would be firing on all cylinders ...
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Guru wants a win
SUVA soccer coach Gurjeet Singh expects nothing less than a win against Nadi tomorrow. The two teams meet in a Fiji Sun/GP Batteries National Football League fixture which will determine who will lead the points table.A win for Suva will displace Nadi from the top of the table while victory for Nadi will stretch the jetsetters' lead.Singh said he had prepared his side well and was ...
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Service offer on partnership
THE European Union has revealed that it is more than willing to discuss its services to Pacific Island states in the context of a comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. Head of the EU delegation to the Pacific Andrew Jacobs said it would include a service chapter in its negotiations with PICs."What we are not ready to do is conclude negotiations on an agreement which essentially ...
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NFA finalises strategic plan
THE NFA is in the process of finalising its strategic plan for 2013 to 2017. The authority hopes to submit this plan for cabinet endorsement early next year.Local Government Minister Colonel Samuela Saumatua said since the appointment of the new board last year, the reforms were the alignment of NFA's services to government's development plans and the building of capacity and ...
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Portable studio for musicians
REGIONAL and local artists looking for a studio to record their music will not have to look any further with a new portable studio at USP. Oceania Centre music coordinator Dave Lavaki said a lot of artists would benefit from the portable studio that was given by world renowned hip-hop producers Stephen Levitin and Pierce Freelon from America who are conducting the Beat Lab workshop at the ...
Fiji Feature
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Fiji needs to focus more on needs of the poor
Fiji is facing a major problem with informal housing or ‘squatter colonies’, especially on the outskirts of major cities such as Savu, which draw people in with the promise of jobs and prosperity. An ongoing effort by government to provide affordable housing for low-income earners is hampered by mismanagement, a lack of funds and the reluctance to evict non-payers from their homes.
Fiji is one of the more developed countries of the South Pacific island nations, but a large proportion of the population remain in poverty and exist through subsistence means rather than through formal integration with the national economy. Read more
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