THE first pilot shipment of Fijian-grown agricultural produce has been exported to Naoero, marking a milestone in efforts to expand market opportunities for Fijian farmers across the Pacific.
The shipment comprised 54 boxes of export-quality fruits, vegetables and root crops grown and harvested by farmers across Viti Levu. The consignment was exported under a MoU between the Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF) and New Valley Processors (Fiji) Limited (NVPL), signed on July 23, 2026.
The produce included eggplants, long beans, telegraph cucumbers, English cabbage, cassava, watermelons, pineapples, tomatoes, taro leaves, taro, papayas, bananas, kumquats and lemons.
PIDF Secretary General Arpana Pratap said she was pleased with the quality of the produce and thanked NVPL for coordinating with farmers to meet the requirements of the first pilot shipment.
“The export of Fijian-grown agricultural produce to Pacific neighbours such as Naoero demonstrates that Fiji’s agriculture sector has the potential to expand beyond the local market,” Ms Pratap said. “This achievement would not have been possible without the support of our project partners, including NVPL, Nauru Airlines and the dedicated farmers,” she said.
The export of agricultural produce from Nadi to Northern Pacific markets is part of the Pacific Fresh AirLink (PFAL) initiative under the Food and Nutrition Security project coordinated by the PIDF.
The PFAL initiative was established to support the export of fresh agricultural produce from Fijian farmers to regional markets, creating new economic opportunities for local producers while improving access to fresh and nutritious food in Pacific communities.
NVPL chief executive officer Navitalai Tuivuniwai said the company had visited farmers across Viti Levu to ensure the produce met the required quality and quantity standards for export. “This first pilot shipment involved a lot of planning, discussions and meetings with farmers to ensure we could meet the deadline for the flight,” Mr Tuivuniwai said. “I am pleased that we were able to do so, and we will continue to work with the PIDF to export more produce to Northern Pacific markets. At the end of the day, our goal is to support and improve the economic livelihoods of our farmers.” Mr Tuivuniwai said NVPL also supplied seedlings to its network of farmers to help increase commercial production and processing of high-value crops and create new market opportunities for growers.
A Biosecurity Authority of Fiji official was also on site to conduct the required inspections before the consignment was loaded onto a Nauru Airlines flight that departed Nadi International Airport on August 18.
Export-quality Fijian produce packed into boxes for export to the Republic of Naoero as part of the first pilot consignment under the Pacific Islands Development Forum and New Valley Processors (Fiji) Limited partnership. Picture:SUPPLIED
