Fiji exports to Kiribati

Submitted by TemoL on Mon, 08/03/2010 - 10:12am

Fiji has sent, through the Food Processors (Fiji) Limited, a consignment of taro and cassava with a combined weight of a tonne and a half last week.

FPL general manager Brij Lal said this was a first for them and also opened up the possibility of trade of root crops to other neighbouring islands.

"This is also an important step for opening potential international markets," he said.

Both dalo and cassava were frozen packed and exported via sea freight.

“The first shipment was more or less a trial consignment, so we are waiting feedback from the customer and if the quality is okay then it’s a start for bigger things,” Mr Lal told the Ministry of Agriculture newsletter, Market Watch.

Mr Lal advised farmers and stakeholders to focus on quality throughout the supply chain as well as have a sustainable supply to tackle big orders in future.

He said they were working closely with the Agriculture Ministry in terms of coordinating the production of crops to its supply for the market.

“It is a true example of public-private partnership as the support from the ministry has been overwhelming,” he said.

Mr Lal said Kiribati imported bananas, pineapples and rice from the Philippines and Australia, so Fiji had an opportunity to export such produce once a market was established.

In addition, the company recently exported 20 tonnes of cassava and dalo to Seattle, in the United States of America.

He said the American market consumed around $US60 million (FJ$117,658,665) of cassava annually, so again Fiji stood firm for more export.

It offers a minimum of $6 per dozen for breadfruit and for duruka, the benchmark for processing is 22,000-30,000 bundles with $4 for 18 sticks of duruka in a bundle.

The farm gate price for ivi is $1.50 per kilogramme.

The company said it needed 30 tonnes of the Maleka-Dina variety of dalo on a monthly basis, with a farm gate price of $1 per kilogramme.

Cassava requirement is 40 tonnes per month with the Niu Guinea and Nadalei varieties recommended.

The company exports canned crops to New Zealand, Australia, Canada and USA.

In 2008, Fiji’s dalo exports was 10,795,807 kilogrammes with the market value of $22,175,115 which represented a drop of 9.6 per cent in quantity and a drop of 6.2 per cent in value from 11,949,411 kilogrammes valued at $23,647,269 exported in 2007.

Similarly in 2008 Fiji exported 1,800,526 kilogrammes of cassava worth $2,185,006 representing an increase of 5.3 per cent in quantity and a drop of 10.5 per cent in value from 1,709,949 kilogrammes with the value of $2,441,155 exported in 2007.