YAQONA farmers and traders stand to lose millions if contamination, poor drying, wrong identification and false labelling continue to undermine the industry, Agriculture Minister Tomasi Tunabuna has warned.
Mr Tunabuna told Parliament yesterday that the rapid growth of Fiji’s yaqona industry made stronger regulation and quality controls essential, with exports surging from about 187 tonnes valued at $6.6million in 2013 to 1016 tonnes worth $79.1m in 2025.
“Farmers and traders lose when yaqona is contaminated, poorly dried, incorrectly identified, or falsely labelled,” he said.
The Government is now proposing the establishment of the Fiji Yaqona Council under the approved Yaqona Bill 2026 to regulate the industry, strengthen standards and protect the interests of thousands of farmers.
Mr Tunabuna said the 2024 National Agriculture Census recorded 14,500 households directly engaged in yaqona farming, involving 17,200 farmers, with about 93 per cent depending on the crop as their main source of income.
He said yaqona contributed an estimated $521.5million in real value added in 2025, making it the largest contributor among agricultural commodities.
“The question before us is whether we give that industry an institution capable of protecting growers, strengthening quality, and defending the value of Fiji’s name in a growing market,” he said.
The proposed council would oversee farmer and industry registration, standards, research, coordination, market development and traceability from cultivation through to export.
Mr Tunabuna said Government had also distributed one million yaqona cuttings and invested in facilities, training and research.
“The Bill brings together three needs: a voice of the growers, confidence in the quality and origin, and the public accountability for the institution that will coordinate the industry.”
