Fiji’s mahogany assets in Vanua Levu have “delivered nothing yet” to landowners or the State because of incomplete lease registrations.
Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources Filimoni Vosarogo revealed this in Parliament in response to a question from Opposition member Isikeli Vanawalu, saying the timber resource remained a non-performing asset because critical boundary surveys were never finalised.
“The truth is that the asset that currently exists in Vanua Levu has delivered nothing yet. It has not delivered a dollar, it has not delivered any dividend, and it has not delivered a lease,” Mr Vosarogo said.
The total mahogany plantation area — spanning six woodlots across Navonu and Saqani in Cakaudrove; Seaqaqa, Dreketi and Korotari in Macuata; and Wainunu in Bua — covers 16,713 hectares.
This resource holds an estimated standing volume of 2.5 million cubic metres of mahogany stone logs.
Mr Vosarogo said the absence of formal legal boundaries had paralysed commercial harvesting operations, keeping the intergenerational asset completely locked.
“The survey is the key that unlocks the value of what we are talking about.
“Without the completed survey, no lease are to be properly issued and without that lease no harvest can legally proceed.”
Mr Vosarogo said unlocking this capital required surveyors to clear remote terrain and collaborate with the iTaukei Land Trust Board (TLTB) to resolve customary boundary disputes.
To fix the bottleneck, the government has mobilized specialized teams following a 2023 Cabinet decision.
“The conduct of the survey on all Vanua Levu mahogany woodlots have been assigned to the iTaukei Lands and Fisheries Commission (TLFC) surveyors from the Ministry of Land Survey department.”
Financed by a $510,000 budgetary allocation, teams are working on the Korotari woodlot before advancing to the remaining areas.
“I am sure that we all appreciate the Mahogany (Amendment) Bill that we have passed in this House, which contains a lot of benefits that will come out once the leases are registered and the mahogany is being harvested.”
A mahoganyn nursery. Picture: FIJI HARWOOD
