Filipe Naikaso 
Fiji’s fruit industry, one of the least developed sectors, is facing significant challenges in terms of organization and growth.
Speaking at the Fruits Festival in Nadi, Principal Research Officer, Horticulture, Ministry of Agriculture and Waterways Mr Savenaca Cuquma, highlights the industry’s lack of formal systems.
Cuquma points out that much of Fiji’s fruit production remains informal, with many fruits grown in local backyards or found growing wild without any structured or coordinated efforts to maximize production or quality.
He says that despite the vast potential for fruit farming, there is still no organized system in place to ensure that production reaches its full capacity.
However, Cuquma says the Ministry of Agriculture is working to change this, and this includes collaborating with development partners to explore new ways to develop the fruit sector.
“We have some bilateral talks with the government of Brazil. We will also be introducing some tropical fruits from Brazil. And also, our Taiwan Technical Missions will be bringing in some sweet oranges and some sweet mandarins. These are all part of developing the industry. And we have also discussed with some commercial farmers how best we can develop the mango industry and the banana industry. These are ways on how we can really tap into some of these big ventures.”
Cuquma adds there is also research and promotion of value-added products from locally grown fruits, which could increase income opportunities for farmers and boost the local economy.
