WOODCHIP exports totaled $49million in 2022, says Trade Minister Manoa Kamikamica.
He said this was a significant contribution to the economy, with the forestry sector comprising approximately 6.8 percent of Fiji’s total domestic exports that year.
“These statistics are not just encouraging, they are actionable,” Mr Kamikamica told Parliament this week, adding that forestry-based economic activity intersected with the Trade Ministry’s core mandate.
“In terms of trade expansion with wood products making up a sizable share of our exports, the ministry will continue to support value-added forestry exports through trade facilitation, quality control and market access strategies such as the successful treatment and branding of timber.”
He said the cottage industry was a promising sector that had immense potential in the micro, small and medium enterprises sector.
“In terms of MSMEs, the cottage industry nurtured by the Ministry of Forestry demonstrates the potential of grassroots economic empowerment.
“We are particularly pleased by the reported collaboration between Courts Fiji to provide markets for community-made furniture. These partnerships must be formalised and expanded under the
MSME framework to ensure longevity and growth.”
Woodchips production has remained positive this year and according to Reserve Bank of Fiji statistics, it improved by 192.6 percent in March this year on a year-on-year basis, 82 percent in April, 70.9 percent in May and 42.9 percent in June this year after a year-on-year decline of 10.6 percent in June 2024.