PGR News from the Pacific

Posted 1:57 PM by Luigi

Vanuatu kava floods Fiji market?

Story reprinted from the Fiji Times (Tuesday, July 27, 2004)

KAVA importers in Fiji are flooding the local market with Vanuatu kava, buying it for as little as $6 per kg and reselling it here for more than $20 per kg. And Fiji Kava Council chairman Ratu Josateki Nawalowalo said they were investigating allegations that a banned brand called Tudei kava had infiltrated our market.

"Some kava drinkers in Noumea and Port Vila are complaining that they have been drinking substandard kava which is believed to be the banned brand which some exporters are sneaking into consignments. At the moment they are allegations but we would like to ensure that everything is checked to put the matter to rest once and for all."

He said 10 tonnes (10,000 kg) of Vanuatu kava had been entering the Fiji market every month. Ratu Josateki flew to Vanuatu last week to discuss the issue with government officials there. "This is undercutting our local growers and depriving them of money that should rightfully be theirs," he said.

"Their products are already neglected as they are and we are seeing daylight robbery in front of our own eyes. How can our people in the rural areas rise up out of poverty if the market that is supposed to be theirs is taken up by some cheap product from outside."

Ratu Josateki said as a result of this influx the quality of kava in Fiji had dropped significantly. "I warned them that we would have to seriously consider banning Vanuatu kava unless quality standards are controlled and scrutinised."

However, Ratu Josateki said Vanuatu kava was filling a vacuum, which Fiji farmers were failing to achieve. "My warning goes out to our farmers to stop relaxing and start mobilising your fields as we are anticipating a flood gate of requests should the Germans clear kava as being a safe drug towards the end of the year," he said.

"And if they cannot satisfy the local market how can they expect to satisfy the international one. There are studies which show some properties of kava identified as a drug that could in the future be used as treatment for cancer and other diseases - but the studies are ongoing. If that is true - then our growers are leaving a goldmine idle and wasted - unless they start to do the hard work."

Ratu Josateki said the Vanuatu Kava Council and Fiji quarantine officials would work hand in hand to ensure that all imports underwent thorough checks before being allowed into the market. He was in Vanuatu to discuss a replacement for the late Frank King, who was Vanuatu's representative on the International Kava Executive Council (IKEC). Ratu Josateki is co-chair of the council, which is funded by the European Union and is based in Brussels. He delivered a letter to the Prime Minister's Office in Vanuatu to invite the Prime Minister to attend the council's (IKEC) conference in Suva between November 20 and December 3.



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Story reprinted from the Fiji Times (Tuesday, July 27, 2004) KAVA importers in Fiji are flooding the local market with Vanuatu kava, buying it for as little as $6 per kg and reselling it here for more than $20 per kg. And Fiji Kava Council chairman Ratu Josateki Nawalowalo said they were investigating allegations that a banned brand called Tudei kava had infiltrated our market. "Some kava drinkers in Noumea and Port Vila are complaining that they have been drinking substandard kava which is believed to be the banned brand which some exporters are sneaking into consignments. At the moment they are allegations but we would like to ensure that everything is checked to put the matter to rest once and for all." He said 10 tonnes (10,000 kg) of Vanuatu kava had been entering the Fiji market every month. Ratu Josateki flew to Vanuatu last week to discuss the issue with government officials there. "This is undercutting our local growers and depriving them of money that should rightfully be theirs," he said. "Their products are already neglected as they are and we are seeing daylight robbery in front of our own eyes. How can our people in the rural areas rise up out of poverty if the market that is supposed to be theirs is taken up by some cheap product from outside." Ratu Josateki said as a result of this influx the quality of kava in Fiji had dropped significantly. "I warned them that we would have to seriously consider banning Vanuatu kava unless quality standards are controlled and scrutinised." However, Ratu Josateki said Vanuatu kava was filling a vacuum, which Fiji farmers were failing to achieve. "My warning goes out to our farmers to stop relaxing and start mobilising your fields as we are anticipating a flood gate of requests should the Germans clear kava as being a safe drug towards the end of the year," he said. "And if they cannot satisfy the local market how can they expect to satisfy the international one. There are studies which show some properties of kava identified as a drug that could in the future be used as treatment for cancer and other diseases - but the studies are ongoing. If that is true - then our growers are leaving a goldmine idle and wasted - unless they start to do the hard work." Ratu Josateki said the Vanuatu Kava Council and Fiji quarantine officials would work hand in hand to ensure that all imports underwent thorough checks before being allowed into the market. He was in Vanuatu to discuss a replacement for the late Frank King, who was Vanuatu's representative on the International Kava Executive Council (IKEC). Ratu Josateki is co-chair of the council, which is funded by the European Union and is based in Brussels. He delivered a letter to the Prime Minister's Office in Vanuatu to invite the Prime Minister to attend the council's (IKEC) conference in Suva between November 20 and December 3. * Comments: Post a Comment	Archive October 2002 November 2002 December 2002 January 2003 February 2003 March 2003 April 2003 May 2003 June 2003 July 2003 August 2003 September 2003 October 2003 November 2003 December 2003 January 2004 February 2004 March 2004 April 2004 May 2004 June 2004 July 2004 August 2004 September 2004 October 2004 November 2004 December 2004 January 2005 February 2005 March 2005 April 2005 May 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005 January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 December 2006 January 2007 February 2007 March 2007 April 2007 May 2007 June 2007 July 2007 August 2007 September 2007 October 2007 November 2007 December 2007 January 2008 February 2008 March 2008 April 2008 May 2008 June 2008 July 2008 August 2008 September 2008 October 2008 November 2008 December 2008 January 2009 February 2009 March 2009 April 2009 May 2009 June 2009 July 2009 August 2009 September 2009 October 2009 November 2009 January 2010 RSS Feed Alternative feed Contact Tevita Something new: Agrobiodiversity Weblog: For discussions of conservation and sustainable use of the genetic resources of crops, livestock and their wild relatives. 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