A FULL suite of plant health outreach materials to help awareness of kava dieback disease was handed to the Ministry of Agriculture and Waterways.
The materials were developed through the Australia and New Zealand-funded Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access Plus (PHAMA Plus) program, in close partnership with Ministry of Agriculture, the package included technical guides in iTaukei, Fiji Hindi and English, along with animated instructional videos and social media resources tailored for farmers.
PHAMA Plus Fiji country manager David Hickes said the knowledge tools brought science to the farm gate.
“This work helps farmers recognise and manage dieback earlier, improve plant health and protect export quality,” he said.
“As you know, kava is a million-dollar industry in Fiji, and one of the major challenges is kava disease or kava dieback, so with this manual, it will guide them how to mitigate these factors and a way forward for them to improve their livelihoods and to support their families.
“Continue to plant kava as much as you can, don’t and never give up because now we have information, our Ministry of Agriculture staff will assist you with information, key information, on how to mitigate some of the key issues.”
Permanent secretary for Agriculture Dr Andrew Tukana said the outreach materials were essential to the fight against kava dieback and by equipping farmers with the right knowledge, a crop that thousands of Fijians depend on for their livelihoods was protected.
“We have valued this partnership with PHAMA Plus in building a stronger, more resilient kava industry,” Dr Tukana said.
“Kava is one of the major contributors to Fiji’s income.”
He said the commercial production of kava had increased from 690 tonnes in the 1990’s to 14,300 tonnes in 2025.
