Rich gold deposits are reported to have been found close to Fiji's western town of Rakiraki.
The Daily Post newspaper says this follows 8 years of drilling and sampling work by a government contracted Nadi company, BETA Limited, under about 250 hectares of cane farm land at Galau about 2km from Rakiraki.
The newspaper says about 100 farmers have signed an agreement allowing tests to be conducted on their land in the hope that it becomes valuable property if it is acquired for gold mining.
A sugar cane advisory councillor for the area, Mahesh Prasad, is quoted as saying the tests have indicated a large quantity of gold 150 metres under the cane farms.
He says more detailed surveys of the deposit will begin this week and if mining starts it will be a big boost to the economically deprived rural area.