Josua Nayau inside his new copra drier. Photo: MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE
Ministry of Agriculture
In today’s fast-paced life, there are few people who successfully juggle between their normal occupation and community work.
But 57-year-old Josua Nayau of Navakaka Village in Cakaudrove does exactly that and successfully too.
Apart from being a dedicated pastoral worker for the Methodist Church and helping people around him, he is a successful copra farmer.
Mr Nayau has been involved in church and other community work for years, something he has never turned his back on but it was some 20 years ago he started as a copra farmer.
His farming journey began with an old-styled copra dryer designed from his own imagination and with support from his family. But venturing into copra had not been new to Mr Nayau.
“Working on the copra shed is heredity. My family has been involved in this trade for a number of years and they have instilled this in us,” he said.
“Having a dryer is for the love I have for my people and tikina; I have always wanted to help them in areas of need.
“I would often allow villagers or the youth groups to collect coconuts for their own pockets and I would buy $0.30 per kg from them.
Beginning the day
The father of two children is day-in day-out a confident family and community figure and starts his day with leaving his cows to graze in the coconut plantation and heating the dryer for the day’s programme.
One will not miss the smoke from copra shed and the slow swaying of tall coconut palms rhythmic to the cool breeze at the junction of Korosi along the Wainigadru Road.
“My wife Siteri Marama and a young nephew Epironi are always with me on the field, since my two kids are away studying and working,” Mr Nayau said.
Having been in this trade for years, Mr Nayau is very skillful with his hands as husking and cutting of coconuts before thrown into the dryer takes him minutes to complete.
A supplier
Mr Nayau is a supplier to the Copra Mills of Fiji in Savusavu supplying cooked copra whilst also a coconut seedling supplier to the Wainigata Agriculture Research Station nursery.
“My supplying days are Thursdays and Fridays every week,” he said.
“Normally, I would be packing 10-15 bags of dried coconuts in 50 kg bags which give me approximately $600 to $700 a week.”
A hardworking man he is, clearly visible on his hands and eyes, he has been compromising with the old copra shed which he has owned ever since he began his farming career.
“Sometimes the copra shed would not function properly but that has not deterred me from continuing,” he said.
New copra dryer shed
The Ministry of Agriculture then donated Mr Nayau a copra dryer shed worth approximately $4980 as part of the Ministry’s assistance to the farmers.
The new copra drying shed has enabled him to work the extra mile and extra speed. But he still keeps the old one in case he needs it one day.
“With the old dryer, drying can take up to three to four days to produce 30 bags for the market but with the new one, it only takes two days to fill 20 bags,” he said.
“The cows that graze in the plantation help carting coconuts from the plantation to the working shed where my wife and I usually wait.
“There are times when hardships come our way, especially during rainy weather, that’s when it’s really hard to start the copra dryer and the cows are hard to control.”
From this copra shed at the junction of Navakaka springs, the income derived is used to educate Mr Nayau’s two children and provide food on the table for his family.
Mr Nayau said: “Savusavu has a lot of potentials, we have lots of coconut trees available and people should make use of it, create employment and make use of the land.
“Employment on the farm is the same as doing office works, it will generate income and pay your way through life.”
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