Madang has potential to export kava to Fiji

Business

MADANG has great potential to export kava to Fiji with a high demand for the product this year, says Fiji’s trade commissioner to PNG Navitalai Tuivuniwai.
He said this at the Fiji Bula Wantok Investment Roadshow last week in Madang.
It generated great interest from farmers and businesses.
“Farmers along the North Coast of Madang have been supplying primary kava roots to markets in Fiji and other Pacific Islands for the past years,” Tuivuniwai said.
“The flavours of kava roots from Madang are quite unique and much loved by consumers in Fiji and other markets in the Pacific, particularly because it is grown organically.
“According to latest statistics by the Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access (PHAMA) Programme, kava in Fiji is a $F320 million (K497.181m) economy with domestic sales valued at 92 per cent and exports at 8 per cent.
“However, due to rising demand from overseas, coinciding with a supply squeeze following the 2016 cyclone, kava prices have soared.
“Subsequently, there has also been a surge in demand particularly from kava exporters in Fiji,”Tuivuniwai said.
“Madang could potentially provide Fiji and other Pacific islands with the much-needed supply.”
“With the tens of thousands of people in Fiji and the Pacific dependent on the kava trade for their livelihood, advances to connect buyers and suppliers is crucial to the Pacific kava industry and economic growth of these nations”.
The Bula Wantok Investment Awareness Roadshow is an awareness and informational workshop sessions undertaken nationwide by the Fiji Trade Commission office.