Fijian farmers are being advised to secure a market for their produce first before venturing into farming on a commercial scale.

New Zealand-based J&P Turner Group Chair Jeffery Turner says Fiji has several natural strengths and good climatic conditions, but farmers need to have proper planning before they begin planting vegetables that are in demand overseas.

J&P Turner specializes in selling fresh fruits and vegetables, and the company is interested in importing several products from Fiji.

Turner says Fijian farmers have the potential to step up and meet the demand for seasonal fruits in New Zealand.

“The growers need to do some good research and budgeting and work out which crops they can grow on the land that are going to suit the market. But the opportunities are great, they’re limitless really, because New Zealand imports, we have to import all our tropical fruit, all our tropical vegetables. A lot of seasonal fruit and vegetables, summer fruit and vegetables are out of season in our winter time.’
However, Turner says the farmers need to maintain the quality of their export products.

“I think it’s very important that quality standards are set, very high export quality standards, and never compromised. The danger is that when things are short, you can lower the standards a bit to get more volume, but that should not happen. The quality standards need to be set in concrete, and they need to be world-class standards, so then Fiji gets a reputation as a world-class supplier of fresh produce.”

Turner further states that farmers should also ensure the continuity, reliability, and consistency of products.

Fiji currently has Fiji has a total of 51 fresh agricultural products approved for export to New Zealand. Of the 51, the main agricultural exports continue to be taro, kava, eggplants, papaya, cassava, and a mixture of other vegetables.