Peceli Naviticoko 
[File Photo]
The Agriculture Ministry’s consultation team has clarified that registration under the proposed Kava Bill is for record purposes only, not for licensing.
This follows concerns raised by farmers during consultations in Labasa, where many questioned why they must register again when they are already registered as businesses and pay taxes on their kava sales.
Lead consultant Losalini Leweniqila says the proposed registration will allow farmers to be officially recorded under the Agriculture Ministry to improve data collection and support planning.
She says the move will also support the establishment of a proposed Kava Council.
“Our council we want what we are seeing it will be separate from government, that you will run your own. Farmer, middleman number one, middleman number two, exporters. You will form the Kava Council and you will tell government this is what we want, this is the kind of assistance we want. Don’t give exporters this give the farmer this, or give the middleman this.”
Leweniqila stresses that registration is not about licensing, as some farmers fear, but about making it easier to identify farmers and areas that may need government assistance.
Meanwhile, farmers in the North are calling on Ministry officials to visit kava farms and witness firsthand the challenges they face, rather than relying solely on data from the Bureau of Statistics.
They say the number of kava farmers has increased significantly over the past ten years, and updated on-the-ground assessments are needed.
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