CABI has visited Fiji to help strengthen partnerships aimed at promoting sustainable agriculture, enhancing livelihoods and trade opportunities, and ensuring food security — all while contributing to the preservation of Fiji’s rich biodiversity, including its coral reefs, mangroves, and rainforests.
Dr Feng Zhang, Regional Director for East & Southeast Asia, Sally Stone, Head of Strategic Partnerships, Asia Pacific, and Dr Ravindra C. Joshi, Honorary CABI Research Associate, met with a high-level delegation of Fijian officials to identify the national needs and explore key areas for potential collaboration.
The visit included a meeting with the Honourable Vatimi Rayalu, Minister for Agriculture and Waterways, and Dr Andrew Tukana, Permanent Secretary for Agriculture and Waterways, at the Ministry headquarters in Raiwaqa.
“We Want the Agriculture Sector to Grow” — Fijian Minister emphasises need for collaboration
The agriculture sector has been the backbone of Fiji’s economy since independence, contributing approximately 18 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product. According to the World Bank, agriculture employs around 28 percent of the working-age population, placing farmers and the sector at the heart of national welfare and development.
The Hon. Rayalu said, “We want the agriculture sector to grow, and in order for this to happen, we need more collaboration with all stakeholders. Your visit today is timely, and we hope to learn more about CABI as we move forward — and of course, collaborate further into the future.
“Government efforts in the agriculture sector have led to significant investments with improved services to our farmers and stakeholders. However, it has become critical to go beyond simply increasing production.
“We must now focus on the broader role of agriculture in improving livelihoods and creating greener jobs for women and youth. The Ministry is committed to this through our Gender in Agriculture Policy and Youth in Agriculture Policy, respectively.”
The CABI team also meet with the Dr Tekini Nakidakida, Deputy Secretary for Agricultural Development, Dr Shalendra Prasad, Director for Research & Agricultural Scientific Services Division, and other senior management staff from various divisions within the Ministry. Additional stakeholder consultations were held in Suva with officials from the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), Fiji National University (FNU), and the Biosecurity Authority of Fiji (BAF).
Shared priorities aligned with CABI’s Medium-Term Strategy and Fiji’s Agricultural Development Agenda
The CABI delegation met with the Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Waterways.
Discussions between CABI and Fijian stakeholders identified several priority areas that closely align with CABI’s Medium-Term Strategy, as well as the Ministry of Agriculture and Waterways’ Strategic Development Plan (2024–2028).
Key thematic areas included capacity building for science and extension services, the development of value-addition industries, management of invasive species, biosecurity, sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) and trade facilitation, digital development, pesticide risk reduction and increased access to bioprotection products.
These topics are well aligned with the Ministry’s five strategic priorities: food and nutrition security; inclusive and sustainable livelihoods; climate resilience; commercializing agriculture; and strengthened service delivery.
Fiji’s key agricultural commodities include sugarcane, root crops such as cassava, taro, and yams, along with a variety of fruits and vegetables, including papaya, pineapple, and eggplant. The team learned that recent developments in value-addition industries have opened new trading opportunities. Fiji has successfully launched a range of innovative products, including vegetable chips, concentrated juices, kava, and semi-processed ginger.
Challenges to Fiji’s agricultural sector
Despite its strengths, Fiji’s agricultural sector faces a range of challenges, including crop pests and diseases, invasive species, climate change and natural disasters. For instance, Cyclone Winston in 2016 caused severe damage to crop and infrastructure, underscoring the urgent need for more resilient farming practices. Pests such as fruit flies, cane weevil borer, termites, armyworms, and Fiji Leaf Gall disease continue to pose serious threats to agricultural productivity.
Fiji also boasts unique biodiversity, with a high number of endemic species. Over 50 percent of the country’s plants and birds are found nowhere else in the world. All 24 palm species, 72 of the 76 Psychotria (wild coffee) species, both native frog species, and over 90 percent of certain insect groups —including cicadas and marine insects —are endemic to Fiji.
Forests cover approximately 52.6 percent of Fiji’s landmass, totalling around 1.8 million hectares. However, this biodiversity is under pressure from over-fishing, exploitation, pollution from agricultural and industrial waste, urbanisation, agricultural expansion, and the introduction of non-native species.
Sugarcane stays Fiji’s most significant agricultural export, accounting for around 70 percent of the sector’s exports and supporting an estimated 200,000 Fijians. Yet the crop is increasingly affected by changes in rainfall patterns, and many sugarcane farmers suffer from declining incomes while producing little of their own food.
One of the targets outlined in Fiji’s national development plan is to promote competitive, sustainable, and value-adding non-sugar agriculture. The Hon. Rayalu highlighted the Ministry’s success in working with farmers to introduce rice cultivation into wetlands within the sugarcane farms — an initiative that both supplements income and reduces dependence on imported rice.
CABI’s Commitment to Supporting Fiji
Dr Feng Zhang said, “Fiji benefits from a rich agricultural sector and exceptional biodiversity, both of which are key to livelihoods, food security, and thriving tourism industry — an important pillar of the economy.
“We recognise the critical role of partnerships in sustainably managing agriculture and minimizing the environmental impacts of human activity, especially in the context of climate change.
“We hope this visit serves to reaffirms CABI’s commitment to supporting Fiji wherever possible — by sharing our expertise to help transform Fiji’s agriculture into a resilient, competitive, innovative and inclusive sector, while protecting its unique environment.”
Additional information
Image: The CABI delegation met with Honourable Vatimi Rayalu (second from left) and Dr Andrew Tukana (second from right) at Fiji’s Ministry of Agriculture and Waterways to discuss national priorities and explore key areas for potential collaboration.
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