FIJIAN exporters who are part of Fiji’s delegation to the Fiji-North America Business mission got to meet and engage in constructive dialogue with a major distributor responsible for importing Fijian products to Canada during a market visit in Surrey on Monday.
The delegation included Fijian businesses like Agriculture Marketing Authority (AMA), Ranviz Farm Fresh Produce, Kavalicious (Fiji) Pte Limited, Pleass Global Limited, and Sea and Soil Pte Limited.
They toured local stores in Surrey that are owned by former Fiji citizens who specialise in selling authentic Fijian products, and also had the opportunity to meet the major distributor of Fijian products which are retailed across Canada.
A statement from Investment Fiji said those engagements were centered around exploring avenues for the distribution and sale of Fijian products through the distributor’s network, and both parties had expressed keen interest in further collaboration.
“We had a look at the product packaging and labelling to see the standards here. We were able to learn the demand for new varieties of products and how people are adapting to new tastes here. We are already exporting to New Zealand and Australia, and it would be a great achievement if we can secure a market in Canada as well,” Ranviz Farm Fresh Produce director Ranjita Devi said.
Kavalicious (Fiji) Pte Limited director Ana Malumuvatu said: “It was a great networking opportunity. I was able to exchange contacts and pitch in my other kava-related products as well, such as kava biscuits. The discussions sound fruitful, and I look forward to a positive response from the businesses that I met.”
“The Fiji-North America Business Mission serves as a great platform for Fijian exporters to explore and capitalise on emerging market opportunities in North America,” Investment Fiji CEO Kamal Chetty said.
“We are committed to facilitating such initiatives that contribute to the growth and diversification of Fiji’s export portfolio.”
Facilitated by Investment Fiji in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade, Cooperatives, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Communications, and the Fiji Trade Commission North America, the aim of the mission is to foster bilateral trade relations between Fiji and North America.
