Suva, Fiji: The first consignment of dalo and cassava left Fiji shores for Kiribati last week.
Food Processors (Fiji) Limited general manager Brij Lal said the company exported a tonne of cassava and half a tonne dalo to Kiribati.

He said this was an important step for opening potential markets overseas.

Both dalo and cassava were frozen packed and exported via sea freight.

“The first shipment was more or less a trial consignment, so we are waiting feedback from the customer and if the quality is okay then it’s a start for bigger things,” Mr Lal told the Ministry of Agriculture newsletter, Market Watch.

Mr Lal advised farmers and stakeholders to focus on quality throughout the supply chain as well as have a sustainable supply to tackle big orders in future.

Mr Lal said they were working closely with the Agriculture Ministry in terms of coordinating the production of crops to its supply for the market.

“It is a true example of public-private partnership as the support from the ministry has been overwhelming,” he said.

Mr Lal said Kiribati imported bananas, pineapples and rice from the Philippines and Australia, so Fiji had an opportunity to export such produce once a market was established.

In addition, the company recently exported 20 tonnes of cassava and dalo to Seattle, in the United States of America.

He said the American market consumed around $US60 million (FJ$117,658,665) of cassava annually, so again Fiji stood firm for more export.

Mr Lal said much marketing funds, promotional activities and merchandising efforts needed to be geared up to gain confidence as well as change the mindset of American consumers towards Fiji’s tropical crops.
The company needs breadfruit, ivi and duruka for processing and supplying to the local and overseas market.

It offers a minimum of $6 per dozen for breadfruit and for duruka, the benchmark for processing is 22,000-30,000 bundles with $4 for 18 sticks of duruka in a bundle.

The farm gate price for ivi is $1.50 per kilogramme.

The company said it needed 30 tonnes of the Maleka-Dina variety of dalo on a monthly basis, with a farm gate price of $1 per kilogramme.

Cassava requirement is 40 tonnes per month with the Niu Guinea and Nadalei varieties recommended.
The company exports canned crops to New Zealand, Australia, Canada and USA.

In 2008, Fiji’s dalo exports was 10,795,807 kilogrammes with the market value of $22,175,115 which represented a drop of 9.6 per cent in quantity and a drop of 6.2 per cent in value from 11,949,411 kilogrammes valued at $23,647,269 exported in 2007.

Similarly in 2008 Fiji exported 1,800,526 kilogrammes of cassava worth $2,185,006 representing an increase of 5.3 per cent in quantity and a drop of 10.5 per cent in value from 1,709,949 kilogrammes with the value of $2,441,155 exported in 2007.