Jalal Khan, a dedicated teacher from Naitasiri, is blending education with agriculture to inspire his students and community.
Growing up with a farming legacy in Navosa, Khan has nurtured a lifelong passion for beef farming while pursuing his teaching career.
Balancing both roles, he manages two farms, one in Navosa and another in Naitasiri focusing on sustainability and traditional farming methods.
Mr Khan, with over 130 cattle in Lomai and 300 in Navosa, alongside goats and sheep, his farm has become a model of innovation, including indoor farming to improve meat quality and livestock growth.
Despite initial challenges in securing land, Mr Khan continues to expand his operations, using income from his farm to renovate and diversify, including opening a shop in Nausori.
His advice to the youth of Fiji is clear: embrace farming as a business for long-term success and sustainability.
He encourages young people, especially i-taukei youths with access to land, to consider farming over urban life, stressing the importance of starting small and scaling up.
“Please stay away from the streets and consider moving back to your villages and settlements to take up farming. I encourage i-taukei youths who have land to start farming. Whether you start as a subsistence farmer, you will eventually grow but you need to start somewhere.”
“Given the many benefits of farming in terms of food security, economic opportunity, and sustainability, by starting with subsistence farming, individuals can eventually scale up and diversify their operations as they gain experience and access to resources, support, and markets,”
The Agriculture and Waterways Ministry is urging aspiring farmers to visit local agriculture stations for guidance and resources to begin their farming journey.