The Tui Ba i Bulu, Ratu Sairusi Na-gagavoka is willing to sell more than 500 acres of land which he owns in Koronubu, to the government for farming development.

The Ba High Chief said he came up with the idea, after a group of chiefs led by Rt Timoci Vesikula visited Malaysia in 2000 and saw that the Malaysian government had bought land from landowners and utilised it for 5 years.

He said government officials have again visited him this week and he still agreed that he is willing to sell 500 acres for farming development, e added that he was informed that the government would buy the land and work closely with some Chinese farmers for its full utilisation.

He said indigenous landowners often claim that they owned the land, but they did not utilise it properly.

Agriculture Minister, Jainend Kumar is expected to comment later today on the matter.