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FOCUS ON FIJI ‘first of its kind in fiji’ | nineteen get wood processing certificates
NINeTeeN youths recently graduated with wood processing certificates from the Ministry of Forestry.
The youths from the villages of Sote, Savu and Naimasimasi in Vugalei District in Tailevu attended a six-month training program for the Forest Subsidy Assistance scheme administered by the ministry.
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Director Forest Products, Trade and Training Division, Taniela Whippy said this was the first of its kind for any of the 14 mahogany stations in Fiji.
“This program is articulated in the forestry policy to engage resource owners in establishing valueadding businesses, or the sustainable management of their forest resources,” he said.
The process that we took for the engagement, we conducted consultations with the villages and then the villages decide the participants that are to be engaged for this program.
“At the moment we are focusing on three villages.
“We have a total of 14 mahogany stations around industry, government through the Ministry of Forestry provide the grant.
“We refer to it as the forest subsidy for the purchase of small value-adding machines.
“These value-adding machines will be used to support them kick-off their own value-adding businesses.
“We’ll give them one week break, before they start to run their own business again, monitored and supervised by the Ministry of Forestry in line with the specifications from the buyers.” e’ll give t H em one week break, before t H ey start to run t H eir own business again, monitored and supervised by t H e m inistry of f orestry in line wit H t H e specifications from t H e buyers. bench and 20 dining table and chairs.
Fiji and Nukurua is one of those stations.”
He said that after graduation, the participants were given value-adding machinery to start their own businesses.
“They were trained in the basics of tree harvesting, basic saw-milling, wood processing, basic timber machining, basic furniture making, and basic carpentry work.
“In our support of the establishment of the cottage
