preview

History Of Fiji Indian Rural Households Essay

Good Essays

1.0 Physical Capital Fiji Indian rural households engaged in sugarcane farming mostly own one or two bullocks and horses or, more rarely, a tractor in terms of physical assets (Carswell 2003; Ward 1965; Kingi and Kompas 2005). These rural farmers often do not own machineries for farm operations mainly for two reasons. First, they are not wealthy enough to afford the purchase and it is relatively difficult to feed the cattle due to limited land for grazing (Carswell 2003, p. 137; SCGC 2012, p. 2). Secondly, the farm sizes are too small to adapt to mechanization (SCGC 2012, p. 2). Bullocks and tractor, or some times horses are used on the farms for ploughing and harrowing the land (Carswell 2003, p. 137; Kingi and Kompas 2005, p. 17). It is also used for clearing tracks to lay portable rail lines in the field for the cane trucks (these rail trucks can be transported to and from the farms on tractor-trailer) (Carswell 2003, p. 137; Kingi and Kompas 2005, p. 17). Carswell (2003, p.137; see also Mayer 1961, p. 15) observed the houses for the rural farmers are using simply built with corrugated iron sheets being nailed to a timber frame. The source of electricity for the rural households are often diesel operated generators and rarely few households closer to the highway would have mainlined electricity (Carswell 2003, p. 137). Cooking is mostly done over an earth stove with open fire using firewood or on gas rings (Carswell 2003, p. 137). These households often have piped water

Get Access