For years, farmers in Makolei, Bua struggled to transport their crops over rough and often impassable roads, especially during bad weather.

That has now changed with the opening of a new three-kilometre farm access road, which will directly benefit 52 households and 219 people in the district of Solevu.

The $96,000 project, funded under the Ministry of Rural and Maritime Development’s Rural Outer Island Development Programme, was officially commissioned by Minister for Rural and Maritime Development and Disaster Management, Mosese Bulitavu.

Speaking at the commissioning, Bulitavu said the road was an investment in people, particularly farmers who rely on safe and reliable access to transport their produce to market.

He said the upgraded road would reduce travel time, lower transportation costs and minimise post-harvest losses, allowing families to earn more from their agricultural activities while improving access to schools and healthcare services.

Solevu District representative Rafaele Tuilevuka said the project had already made a significant difference for the community.

He said farmers no longer have to deal with costly delays or difficult journeys to get their produce to market, especially during wet weather.

Tuilevuka added that easier access would also encourage farmers to expand cultivation, transport farming supplies more efficiently and improve household incomes, creating lasting opportunities for future generations.