Government will revamp Food Processors Fiji Pte Limited with investment in modern equipment, cold storage and stronger links between farmers and the factory, as it seeks to make the company commercially viable.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade Manoa Kamikamica announced the plan in Parliament while responding to the Consolidated Review Report on Food Processors Fiji for 2008-2019, tabled as Parliamentary Paper No. 69 of 2026.
Mr Kamikamica said Government accepted the committee’s findings that the company had operated inefficiently for years, with outdated equipment, heavy reliance on manual processing and no business plan.
“The old model did not work,” he said.” Most processing was done manually, equipment is outdated and there was no business plan.”
He said the company would transition to modern processing to improve efficiency and increase production.
Committee member Vijay Nath said manual processing created employment but left the company inefficient and unable to scale up.
He said workers concerned about modernisation should be retrained to operate new equipment.
“There is no synergy between farmers, agriculture extension officers and Food Processor (the company), resulting in an inconsistent supply of raw materials,” he said.
He said farmers were reluctant to plant without guaranteed markets, while the factory could not operate consistently without reliable supplies.
Mr Kamikamica said Government was working with the Ministry of Agriculture to strengthen the farmer-to-factory relationship through contract farming.
“Farmers need a guaranteed market, and the factory needs guaranteed supply, we will connect the two,” he said.
Opposition MP Premila Kumar said the company should also turn waste into income.
“Peel, pulp, seeds all thrown away,” she said.
“These can be converted into animal feed, compost, oils and this is income.”
