Sainiani Boila 
The Agriculture Marketing Authority faced significant challenges last year due to inconsistent supply from farmers and inadequate cold storage facilities.
Executive Chairman Jone Sovalawa emphasized that the lack of reliable cold storage, especially in key areas such as Nausori, the North, and the West, has been a major obstacle.
Sovalawa noted that the cold storage issue is critical, as many agricultural commodities need to be frozen within six to eight hours of collection to maintain their quality.
“One of the key issues we face is the lack of cold storage facilities, both in our main centre in Nausori and in other regions. Cold stor-age is closely tied to the availability of power, and without a stable power supply, it’s difficult to install and operate these facilities across our collection centres around the country.”
Sovalawa says this is essential to ensure the produce stays fresh and meets the standards expected by consumers in the final market.
Addressing these challenges, the AMA continues to work towards improving cold storage infrastructure, which will be crucial in maintaining the quality of Fiji’s agricultural products as they move through the supply chain.
