Riya Bhagwan 
[Photo: File]
Before sunrise, farmers are already in their fields, tending crops and livestock that eventually make their way to local and overseas markets.
However, Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica says the people doing the hard work are not always getting a fair share of the value their produce creates.
He believes cooperatives could change that.
According to Kamikamica, bringing farmers together can strengthen their bargaining power, reduce reliance on middlemen and help producers retain more of their earnings.
“The guys that do 80% of the effort don’t get 80% of the benefit.”
He says Fiji is looking at successful cooperative models overseas, including India’s Amul milk cooperative.
Amul brings together milk from thousands of small producers, allowing farmers to collectively access processing, markets and payment systems.
“That is the power of cooperatives. You’re not only touching the big lives of the big people, you’re also touching the lives of the small, of the less privileged.”
The DPM adds that the idea could also give Pacific farmers something they often struggle to achieve individually – scale.
He says, by combining their produce, farmers from across the region could potentially meet larger orders and compete for bigger regional and international markets.
Kamikamica highlights this could be particularly valuable for commodities such as kava, cocoa and root crops.
He says Fiji is already seeing examples of cooperatives creating new market opportunities, including exports of cow feed to New Zealand and plans to send root crops to Nauru.
The Government also sees potential in stronger regional cooperation, allowing Pacific producers to collectively supply markets that may be too large for individual countries.
