Learning new skills in farming

By Vatapuia Maiava and Ilia L Likou 13 September 2016, 12:00AM

It’s not as easy as they say. Despite what many people say about living off of the land, labour work is definitely not easy.

For a young farmer Letuau Talitualemi, from the village of Vailele, he is living proof.

Letuau, 30, has turned to the life of a farmer to help out his family.

“I have a plantation far in land,” he tells the Village Voice.

“Right now I am pretty new to the life of a farmer, I just started planting my bananas and taro, this life is just not easy.”

With no other way to earn income, Letuau is hopeful that his plantation will one day return a profit. 

“We have no employed family member and my parent’s house is close by,” he said.

“We are struggling to make ends meet and it’s not easy living off of the land. The one thing I am trying to do is use my plantation for money because that’s what we need.

“That’s the problem because we have a lot of things to pay. We need to take care of the family, take care of village and church obligations.”

One of the other issues with farming is the limitation of land available to people in the town area. 

“There may be a lot of jobs in town but if you can’t find one then it’s a farmer’s life for you,” Letuau said.

“It’s not that easy in the beginning but once you see your crops beginning to grow then that will bring you joy. That’s what I look forward to.

“Another issue is the limitation of land available; it would be nice if we were in the rural areas where there is a lot of land for the plantation.”

Letuau admits that he prefers the life in the rural village to the town life. 

“Both life in the rural villages and life in town has its perks,” he said.

“But I prefer life in the village because it’s good for labour work like farming. Here in town is alright with the allocation of land but it’s just not enough.

“Our future is in that plantation.”

And as a good parent, Letuau prioritizes his children’s future above all else. “Although we don’t have much we still put our two children through school,” he said.

“That’s one of our priorities. We are struggling and life as a farmer is not as easy as many claim it to be.”

By Vatapuia Maiava and Ilia L Likou 13 September 2016, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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