Praneeta Prakash 
[Photo: FOOD PROCESSORS FIJI LTD/ FACEBOOK]
Food Processors Limited is expanding its search for new export markets while working to improve access to finance for local farmers as part of its efforts to strengthen Fiji’s agricultural sector.
Chair Raj Sharma says the company’s priority is to provide farmers with better market opportunities and fair returns for their produce.
Sharma says the company, which exports about 60 percent of its products and records annual sales of around $6 million, is diversifying beyond processed foods by targeting exports of fresh and frozen produce.
“We are not only processing these foods, but we are diversifying them. For example, if we are processing green produce, we peel it and send it through frozen goods. But now, we want to sell green produce like eggplant, okra, and beans, and even bananas and pineapples. For now, we are looking at the Australian and New Zealand markets for green produce.”
The company is also exploring new regional markets, including Vanuatu, Solomon Islands, Nauru and Kiribati, following discussions with the Pacific Islands Development Forum.
Sharma says Food Processors Limited is considering a Memorandum of Understanding with the Fiji Development Bank to help its contract farmers gain easier access to loans, enabling them to increase production and meet growing export demand.
