The proposed Kava Bill will undergo an independent review and another round of consultations to ensure all stakeholders’ inputs are registered with the developments in the kava industry.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade, Co-operatives, Small and Medium Enterprises Manoa Kamikamica said the Government was implementing a comprehensive strategy at the national level to fully realise the potential of Fiji’s kava sector.
Early last week, Mr Kamikamica met with the Kava Taskforce made up of farmers and the business community to discuss the development in the industry, and also included discussions on the protection of the industry.
“It was a productive meeting in which I personally learned about new emerging concerns and issues faced by farmers, and what the Government can do to help them gain better market access and capital,” Mr Kamikamica said while addressing the Farmers’ Forum in Suva last Thursday.
The Kava Bill was introduced by the FijiFirst government in 2016, which had as its main purpose the establishment of a Fiji Kava Council to regulate and manage the kava industry.
Mr Kamikamica told the farmer’s forum that the Kava Bill will provide guidance on any research or development associated with kava.
Kava as an export commodity has been increasing in value over the years, from a mere $8.9million in 2015 to $32.5m in 2019, to $43.6m in 2020, slightly declining to $41.9m in 2021, according to export data from the Fiji Bureau of Statistics.
