Bangkok - Today, Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn presented FAO awards to five Asian farmers from Fiji, India, Indonesia, Mongolia and Thailand.

Imam Ali
A model poultry farmer from the Republic of the Fiji Islands

Fifteen years ago, Imam Ali was faced with a crisis. At the time, he was a 40-year-old carpenter working for a construction company in the capital city of Suva on the island nation of Fiji. But, meeting the daily demands of his job had become impossible. Imam was ill – suffering from Chronic Trigeminal Neuralgia, a nerve condition that can cause excruciating pain. It is not uncommon for those who suffer from this condition to fall into deep depression and withdraw from the world.

That was not an option for Imam Ali. He had a family of seven to support. And so with his wife and children, he moved to the community of Wainadoi where they staked out a plot of land and intended to start a new life working together as a family of vegetable farmers. The land, however, was low lying. Floods came frequently and washed their crops away. Imam Ali needed a new plan.

Surveying his community, he decided to give raising ducks a try. He started with five ducks, and when they matured with no problems, he increased his flock to 500. Others in his area were also raising ducks, but one of Mr. Ali’s sons, Imtiaz, who had become an accountant and was working for a supermarket chain in Suva, gave him a better idea. He told his father that if he dressed his ducks he could sell them directly to the supermarkets at higher prices. “Since I was the only farmer providing this service, the demand was incredible,’’ he said.

With his profits, Imam bought a truck and began home deliveries. Soon he was supplying dressed ducks to restaurants. Business was so good that demand had outstripped what he and his family could supply from their small farm. So he started buying ducks from the other farmers in the village.

Mr. Ali’s operation caught the attention of the Ministry of Agriculture, which advised him to increase production. The needed investment, however, was beyond his means, and so the FAO offered assistance in the form of $10,000 worth of building materials. He constructed a new slaughterhouse, and began employing local people. All this earned him the 2006 award from the Fiji Development Bank as the Best Small Business in the livestock category.

Today, Mr. Ali’s farm is a model farm for the region. His success has been a boon to his community, as he buys up all of his neighbor’s ducks at higher prices than they were getting before, gives them free fertilizer and also provides jobs. Furthermore, he offers a helping hand to others. “Whenever anyone wants to learn about duck farming I teach them what I know,’’ he says. “I want my business to grow, but I want my community to grow also.’’

Once faced with a crisis that might have defeated others, through perseverance and ingenuity, this former carpenter has become an architect of a better future for his family, his community and his country.


More information at:
http://www.fao.org/getinvolved/worldfoodday/en/