Today we pay tribute to Daya Wati, 70, of Tabia, Labasa who won the woman in agriculture award last week for the Northern Division.
She gets our medal for the week for her incredible achievement. She is an inspiration to many people in a lot of ways.
She is still going strong at her age and has never lost her focus and commitment to planting vegetables and other crops. And it’s all organic because she does not use chemicals.
Since she started farming at, 24, she has never regretted it. She has proved that there’s money to be made in agriculture. Right now, she is making good money selling cabbages and beans. She has advised young people not to be dependent on their parents and start building something for themselves. She says agriculture is a great source of livelihood.
Her farming supplements the family income from sugarcane which her husband looks after. She takes care of her two grandchildren’s education and bought a farm tractor with implements, two trucks for farm use, paid for the land leased from the iTaukei Land Trust Board, and acquired two housing properties in Suva.
At a time when the country is turning to agriculture to help rebuild the economy devastated by COVID-19, Daya Wati is an excellent role model. Many people at her age may not be able to do what she is actively doing now. She has shown that a healthy lifestyle she derives from the farm life has contributed to her good health.
She is eating fresh food from the farm and her farm work keeps her fit and healthy. She is a wonderful example and teaches us that there is no substitute for honest, hard work – and it does not matter what gender you belong to and how old you are. If you want to succeed in life you need to focus and work hard to achieve your goals.
She did it and she deserves recognition.
