THE Agricultural Ministry will be submitting a formal proposal to the Ministry of Finance following the success of the inaugural Agriculture Mini Trade Forum in Suva last week.
The forum attracted farmers, traders and stakeholders in the agricultural sector and was aimed to address longstanding challenges faced by farmers and exporters in the country.
These include pricing volatility, freight costs and market accessibility among others.
The mini trade forum also showcased New Zealand importers, trade experts and development partners, marking a major step forward in the country’s ongoing effort to strengthen export potential and align agricultural production with high-end international market demands.
Speaking to this newspaper at the closing ceremony, Acting Deputy Secretary Operations at the Ministry of Agriculture Dr Tekini Nakidakida confirmed that the ministry will be compiling key recommendations and stakeholder feedback into a structured submission detailing concerns and possible solutions agreed upon by farmers, traders and stakeholders at the forum.
“We hope the submissions prepared can pave the way to begin work on stabilising prices for non-sugar commodities like dalo,” Dr Nakidakida said.
“We will also look into reducing freight burdens, especially from the Eastern and Northern divisions, where logistic costs are higher because most products are produced and packaged in VitiLevu.”
He said they were expecting submissions to include proposals around price banding, freight subsidies and better catergorisation of farmers, with the goal of creating targeted support schemes that match varying levels of agricultural production from subsistence growers to commercial exporters.
The Forum theme was very clear: Fiji must move away from traditional-production-first thinking and adopt a market driven model to cater to Fiji’s market demands.
“New Zealand is a friendly trading partner, but like any high-end market, it has strict requirements,” Dr Nakidakida said.
“The forum allowed farmers to hear directly from New Zealand importers which is a rare and valuable opportunity.
“It was to understand what overseas buyers actually need.”
The approach was agreed upon by the supporting partner of the forum, the New Zealand Ministry of Primary Industries.
Its special advisor Nacanieli Waqa said agriculture in the Pacific needed to begin with “listening to the market”, not simply growing what has always been grown.
“Trade starts by understanding what the market wants,” he said
“This event was about bringing the market to the growers, not the other way around.
“We’re no longer just building capacity. We’re helping strengthen systems, from biosecurity to packaging, so Fiji can meet real export demands,” Mr Waqa told this newspaper.
Dr Nakidakida said one of the dominant concerns raised by attendees was the unpredictable pricing of root crops like dalo, which can fluctuate from as low as a $1.80 kilogram to over $7 depending on seasonality and region.
“We understand the frustration when prices are low even though costs remain high.
“If we can stabilise prices within a reasonable range, and ensure freight costs don’t eat into farmers’ margins, we can lift livelihoods across the sector.”
He said the Agricultural Ministry is expecting to also propose a pricing framework, not fixed prices, but rather a flexible price range that considers input costs and market value.
This also includes freight equalisation mechanisms, especially for farmers in remote locations which could provide a more equitable foundation for agricultural exports.
“Most freight services are centralised around Viti Levu, but we have producers in the North and the maritime islands too and we can’t leave them behind.”
The forum also addressed technological structures and its barriers that hamper efficient access to markets.
Participants pointed to difficulties with online services like applications, inconsistent vetting processes and limited awareness about available support programs.
Dr Nakidakida said they were trying to improve their database.
“What we did here catergorising farmers into subsistence, medium and commercial level, which should guide them in service delivery,” he said.
He said improved digital infrastructure and accurate classification of applications will streamline how farmers access government resources, when it came to vetting challenges, he said, often arise from a lack of field-level verification, which resultts in delays or misallocated support.
Dr Nakidakida said Fijian products shouldn’t be repackaged and rebranded overseas.
“We want to do that here and traceability, consumer feedback, labelling, those are the steps to achieve it,” he said.
Following the success of the inaugural forum, Dr Nakidakida said the Ministry’s plans to make the Agriculture Mini Trade Forum an annul event with plans to expand into the West and Northern divisions.
