Kimble Chung, a prominent ginger exporter from Suva, alleged that the Fiji Fresh Ginger Exporters Association was obstructing his efforts to export ginger to the United States.
In an article by The Fiji Times on Monday, October 2, 1989, Mr Chung claimed that the association pressured the shipping company, Burns Philp Shipping, to refuse to transport his goods to the US West Coast.
According to Mr Chung, the association demanded a new freight rate of over $3000, a significant increase from the usual $2800.
Additionally, he asserted that his ginger would be stored on deck rather than in the hold, potentially compromising its quality.
“I send my ginger to little buyers but they want me to send it to bigger buyers who need at least 200,000 pounds,” Mr Chung said .
“The company (BP Shipping) is supposed to send a container today.”
This is not an isolated incident; Mr Chung has previously encountered difficulties with the association.
Mr Chung reports that the association is attempting to funnel his shipments to larger buyers who require a minimum of 200,000 pounds of ginger, despite his preference to supply smaller buyers.
His business, Chung’s Trading, based in Vatuwaqa, currently had nearly 2000 cartons of ginger ready for export, with a shipment valued at approximately $US27,000 ($F59,736).
In addition to his own farm in Namara, Chung sourced ginger from other local farmers.
He speculated that the association’s actions were aimed at protecting established buyers and restricting new exporters.
Mr Chung previously experienced payment issues with certain buyers, which led him to reject further shipments to them.
Chung was determined to continue his export activities and overcome the hurdles posed by the association.
