Sigatoka

Sigatoka is a town in Fiji. It is found on the island of Viti Levu and is situated at the mouth of the Sigatoka River, after which it is named, some 69 kilometers from Nadi. At the 1996 census, the last held, it had a population of 7940.

An ornate mosque dominates the Sigatoka skyline. Major tourist attractions include the sand dunes near Kulukulu village two kilometers south of Sigatoka, and the Kula Eco Park, which houses some 500 birds of 100 species from many tropical countries.

Sigatoka was incorporated as a Town in 1959, and is governed by a 10-member Sigatoka Town Council, elected for a three-year term. At the last municipal elections, held on 22 October 2005, all 10 seats were won by a coalition of the United Fiji Party (SDL) and the National Federation Party (NFP). The new council reelected Ratu Isikeli Tasere as Mayor, a position held for a one-year term, renewable any number of times.

From 1912 to 1923, banana plantations in the Sigatoka valley suffered severe episodes of a fungal infection known as the Yellow sigatoka disease. The Black sigatoka, an even more ravaging plant disease, was subsequently named so for its relatedness.

Other references

Education:

Sigatoka is also known for many education institutes. It has more than five primary and secondary schools. It has the Sigatoka Methodist Primary School and Sigatoka Methodist Secondary ( High) School. Majority of the residents in Sigatoka Town would have attended Sigatoka Methodist High School.

Sigatoka Methodist Primary School:

This is one of the largest primary schools in Sigatoka Town. It has more than one thousand students. There is a ratio of sixty two students per one teacher. Students attend primary school from six years of age. The annual school fee cost approximately $120.oo per year.

Health:

Sigatoka Town also has one large local hospital and several small medical centres. However the hospital at times does not have a full time doctors or a physiotherapist.

* citation
author=X. Mourichon, J. Carlier and E. Fouré
date=1997
title=Sigatoka Leaf Spot Diseases (Black and Yellow Sigatoka)
series=Musa Disease Fact Sheet No. 8
publisher=INIBAP
url=http://www.bioversityinternational.org/Publications/pubfile.asp?ID_PUB=699

* citation
author=G. Orjeda
date=1998
title=Evaluation of Musa germplasm for resistance to Sigatoka diseases and Fusarium wilt
series=INIBAP Technical Guidelines 3
publisher=IPGRI - INIBAP - ACP-EU |url=http://www.bioversityinternational.org/publications/pubfile.asp?ID_PUB=412