Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Waterways and Assistant Minister – Hon. Alitia Bainivalu & Hon. Tomasi Tunabuna;

Honourable Cabinet Ministers;

NZ High Commissioner, Her Excellency Charlotte Darlow

Australia High Commissioner, His Excellency Peter Roberts

Your Excellency’s, Members of the Diplomatic Corps;

I extend a very warm welcome to all our distinguished guests who have travelled from abroad to be with us today.

A special welcome to the NZ-based importers and who have accepted the invitation to come and be with us this week.

Distinguished Farmers and Exporters:

Members of our Private Sector;​

Regional Development Partners;​

Opening Remarks

Ni sa Bula Vinaka and a very warm welcome to you all.

It is a great pleasure and honour, on behalf of the Government of Fiji, to welcome you to the Western session of the Fiji Mini Trade Forum. This region is rich in potential and home to hardworking, enterprising people. It is only fitting that we gather here to continue bridging markets and building futures.

Consider this: an estimated 60% of our agricultural produce still doesn’t reach formal markets. Not because of lack of effort, but because the systems—logistics, aggregation, access to market intelligence—are not yet fully aligned. That is why this forum matters.

Reiterating the declaration by the Honourable Assistant Minister of Agriculture on Monday, this forum is not just an event—it is a movement. A movement toward a more inclusive, coordinated, and market-led approach to trade.

A Market-Driven Vision for Trade

We must be bold in our vision. To transform trade in Fiji, we must transition from a supply-driven model to one that is responsive to market demand.

This means:

• ​ Planning production based on real-time demand: Aligning planting cycles and volumes with market data to reduce waste and improve margins.
• ​ Meeting international standards: Ensuring our products comply with the regulations and certifications required in key markets.
• ​ Coordinating the full supply chain—from farm to freight: Creating an end-to-end ecosystem that is reliable, efficient, and transparent.

Imagine a future where our farmers know next month’s demand figures just as well as their harvest schedules. Where exporters can rely on consistent volume, quality, and timeliness. Where a buyer in Auckland doesn’t just want cassava—but wants “Fijian cassava,” because they trust our standards and our supply.

Let me be clear: markets reward consistency. Not one-off deliveries, but 10 tonnes every month, quarter after quarter. That is the kind of demand-led, high-performance system we are working toward.

Empowering Farmers, MSMEs and Cooperatives

At the heart of this transformation are our farmers, MSMEs, and cooperatives. The co-operative model gives us scale and shared infrastructure, while MSMEs provide agility, creativity, and market reach.

That is why, in the 2025/2026 National Budget, my Ministry has been allocated $5.5 million—a 36% increase from the previous year—to fund programmes such as the Cooperative Development Fund, the National Export Strategy, and the Integrated Human Resource Development Programme.

This is not charity. These are smart investments in people who are ready to hustle and grow.

Addressing the Pain Points

Let’s not sugarcoat it—challenges remain. We are still seeing fragmented coordination, gaps in certification, and unpredictable supply. This weakens trust and limits opportunity.

To fix this, we are actively strengthening partnerships with the Ministry of Agriculture and Waterways, the Biosecurity Authority of Fiji, MPI NZ, Pacific Trade Invest, and PHAMA+. Together, we are streamlining logistics, investing in certifications, and linking producers to structured markets.

From Islands to Markets: Stories of Success

Across Fiji, real people are proving that change is possible:

• ​ Drekenivuci Ginger Farmers, Tailevu – Ten farmers, 3 acres, 11.5 tonnes of ginger harvested, and over FJD 13,000 earned in just six months—thanks to training and a partnership with Kaiming Agro.
• ​ Fiji Organic Producers Association, Sigatoka – A 20-member cooperative exporting certified ginger, turmeric, and vanilla under Pacific Organic Standards.
• ​ Lovia Turmeric Co-op, Naitasiri – A grassroots enterprise now regularly exporting to New Zealand.
• ​ Root Crops Boom – In FY2020, Fiji exported 11,900 tonnes of root crops worth FJD 95 million, including cassava valued at up to FJD 2 million.

These stories are not isolated. They are evidence of what’s possible with the right mix of knowledge, organisation, and support.

Digital Trade and Innovation: Extending Our Reach

Trade is going digital—and so must we. Even our smallest producers now have the potential to reach global markets.

We are actively supporting entrepreneurs and exporters to:

• ​ Build e-commerce-ready websites and digital storefronts: Empowering Fijian businesses to showcase and sell their products directly to international buyers.
• ​ Reach customers across the Pacific and beyond: Breaking down geographical barriers to connect with markets in New Zealand, Australia, the US, and Asia.
• ​ Use digital tools like analytics and targeted marketing to adapt and grow: Enabling businesses to track trends, optimise strategies, and meet consumer preferences in real time.

But presence alone isn’t enough—we must also innovate.

To compete globally, we must:

• ​ Understand changing consumer preferences:  Staying ahead of trends in wellness, sustainability, and ethical sourcing.
• ​ Package and brand our goods to reflect quality and origin: Creating products that speak of Fiji’s authenticity and uniqueness.

• ​ Meet the expectations of buyers in Auckland, Honolulu, Singapore, and beyond: Delivering quality, reliability, and service that meets global benchmarks.

When Fiji innovates, we compete not just on price—but on story, quality, and trust.

Relationships, Resilience, and Results

Trade is built on trust. To succeed, we must build direct buyer relationships, honour commitments, and deliver value with consistency and pride. It’s not just about one deal—it’s about becoming the preferred, most trusted supplier.

But this forum must also light a fire.

Let us move from talk to traction:

• ​ Keep the dialogue going beyond this room
• ​ Translate forum insights into actionable support ●​ Back it all with field-level, practical assistance

To future-proof our economy, we need agility and resilience.

This means:

• ​ Flexible operations that can adapt to change
• ​ Efficient systems that reduce waste and boost value
• ​ Smart partnerships—public and private, local and global

And finally, we must keep learning. Transformation is a habit. Through continuous training, peer mentorship, and knowledge-sharing, we will raise a generation of export-ready, confident Fijian entrepreneurs.

Final Reflections and Call to Action

Let us honour our theme: “The Markets Need It – Fiji Grows It – Let the Hub Make It Happen.”

But let’s not wait for perfect conditions—let’s be the generation that builds them.

Let’s:

• ​ Shift from fragmented exports to sustained, predictable supply: Delivering reliability to our trading partners.

• ​ Bridge last-mile gaps—from farmgate to supermarket shelf: Solving logistics and distribution bottlenecks.

• ​ Turn this forum into a launchpad for a new era of Fijian trade: One driven by innovation, partnerships, and people.

Trade is not just about numbers—it is about dignity, ambition, and shared prosperity.

Let us carry that spirit from this forum—into our policies, our partnerships, and our production lines.

Vinaka vakalevu—and I wish you all a productive and inspiring two-day forum in the West.