Joeli Ragoneliwa 
Fiji is being considered as a key regional hub for cooperative training after high-level talks with the Institute for the Development of Agricultural Cooperation in Asia (IDACA).
IDACA states it sees Fiji as strategically positioned to lead cooperative development in the Pacific.
The institute highlighted its 62-year record, training over 6,900 cooperative leaders across Asia and the Pacific and stressed Fiji’s potential to become a centre of excellence in the sector.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade, Cooperatives, MSMEs and Communications Manoa Kamikamica, who led discussions in Tokyo, said Fiji’s hub would boost regional growth, increase youth and women participation, and introduce innovative approaches in digitalisation, marketing, and packaging.
“Fiji’s location and growing cooperative movement present an opportunity to create a regional centre of excellence, strengthening ties between Oceania and the Pacific cooperagtive networks.”
Kamikamica added it would strengthen community resilience through inclusive economic development.
The two sides explored partnerships through training programs, study visits, and knowledge exchange. Kamikamica noted that discussions included the possibility of a formal Memorandum of Understanding to solidify cooperation.
The meeting reinforced the commitment of both Fiji and Japan to deepen collaboration in the cooperative sector and support sustainable agricultural development across the Pacific.
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