Land clearing done by students at the Koronivia Campus farm.

Yam planting done by students lead by Associate Dean TVET CAFF, Dr Ilisoni Leweniqila (right).

Koronivia, Fiji – While most students of the Fiji National University (FNU) were enjoying their semester break, TVET students from the College of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (CAFF) in Koronivia were hard at work, getting their hands dirty on their own campus farm. As part of their practical training, students planted yams, cocoa, and coffee crops right at FNU’s Koronivia Campus, laying the foundation for an ambitious and meaningful farming initiative.

The College has started a groundbreaking student farming project aimed at preserving traditional planting knowledge while boosting practical learning opportunities for its agriculture students.

Spearheaded by CAFF’s Associate Dean TVET, Dr Ilisoni Leweniqila, the project ensures that agriculture students can now complete their practical training on the campus farms, eliminating the need to seek external plots. The initiative is a key part of a wider seed-funding project focused on traditional food crops and sustainable farming.

“We wanted to bring learning closer to the students, not just theoretically, but practically as well,” said Dr Leweniqila.
“This farm now becomes their classroom, their project site, and their training ground all in one.”

The farm currently hosts over 200 yam plants and more than 200 cocoa and coffee seedlings. These commodities, supported by the Ministry of Agriculture, are being introduced not only as crops of economic value but also as learning tools for re-skilling students in both modern and indigenous techniques.

To further enrich the experience, the College invited Mr Simione Momoivalu of the Yasawa Yam Association, a respected traditional farmer, to conduct practical training with the students. Mr Momoivalu shared time-honoured methods of yam planting, from land preparation to species selection, mound preparation, and spacing techniques rooted in Fijian tradition.

This effort also supports a broader national target: FNU’s alignment with the National Development Plan.
“What we’re proposing is directly aligned to the National Development Plan, and we’re using our students to lead this change,” Dr Leweniqila said.

“We’ve blended this work into our seed-farming projects, combining both traditional and introduced fruit tree varieties, like cocoa and coffee, to ensure diversity, resilience, and sustainability in our local food systems.”

Dr Leweniqila noted that while conventional farming methods often prioritise scale and speed, they don’t always yield the best results.
“We’ve seen that traditional planting methods not only preserve our heritage but can actually produce better outcomes. This is about reviving valuable knowledge and passing it on to the next generation.”

Students involved in the initiative gained hands-on experience in soil preparation, planting, and crop care, skills that support both classroom learning and real-world application. Their work also supports the establishment of what is expected to be FNU’s largest gene bank, providing a sustainable source of planting material for future projects and farming education.

“This project is a working model for integrated learning, where students don’t just study agriculture, they live it,” added Dr Leweniqila.

“We’re developing not just farmers, but future leaders in sustainable agriculture.”

Dr Leweniqila said the initiative will continue to grow, with plans to expand the variety of crops and deepen student involvement in long-term farm management and research activities.

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