Peceli Naviticoko 
[Photo: FILE]
Fiji’s coconut industry is being positioned for a major revival, with government moving to rehabilitate thousands of hectares of ageing plantations.
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says the focus must now shift from simply producing more coconuts to increasing productivity, strengthening farmer incomes and creating greater value from the crop.
Speaking during World Coconut Day celebrations in Labasa, Rabuka states that the overnment will establish coconut nurseries across all four agricultural divisions, with seedling distribution expected to begin early next year.
“Approximately half of Fiji’s coconut plantations, covering more than 30,000 hectares, are considered senile and require rehabilitation or replanting. This is a challenge, but it’s also an economic opportunity.”
Rabuka said rehabilitating these plantations would help provide a more reliable supply of raw materials for local processing and export.
He says the transformation will require farmers, landowners, communities, researchers, financial institutions, development partners and the private sector to work together.
The Prime Minister adds that Fiji must build a modern coconut industry through stronger processing, better products, improved branding, reliable quality and access to higher-value markets.
