Vast acres of native land remain unused

[Posted 29 Oct 2002, 1500]

Statistics show 95% of land held under native reserve is lying idle and yet the Qarase government has given more State land to the indigenous people.

Furthermore, while large tracts of native land remain unused, thousands of Indian farmers are being forced off native leases to allow indigenous owners to use their land.

Replying to questions from Labour’s Poseci Bune in last month’s Parliamentary sitting Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase revealed that a total of 571,356 hectares of land were being held under native reserve.

Of this, only 24,773 ha, or a meagre 4.3% was under actual production when in fact, 93% is supposed to be under agricultural production.

These are shocking land use figures and show the extreme racist stance of the Qarase government on land issues.

Early this year, the government converted an additional 200,000 acres of Schedule A&B Lands, held under State trusteeship since the late 19th century to native use and ownership.

The transfer took place under strong protest from the Fiji Labour Party in Parliament and at a time when thousands of landless Indian cane farmers are being evicted from native lands they and their forefathers have farmed for generations.

Access to land is a constitutional right of every Fiji citizen yet Indian tenant farmers are being blatantly denied this right.