- Fiji Kava (FIJ) has partnered with the Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access (PHAMA) Plus Program to strengthen kava export opportunities
- Fiji Kava’s subsidiary, South Pacific Elixirs, will work with PHAMA Plus to boost the sustainable production and distribution of kava from Fiji
- The partnership will also see South Pacific Elixirs and PHAMA Plus work on design and installation of commercial kava nurseries in Fiji
- This is to sustainably mass-produce kava root to meet the growing market
- Noble kava has proven medicinal and relaxation benefits and the global market is expected to exceed US$210 billion by 2026
- Company shares have risen 3.85 per cent and are trading for 8.1 cents each
Fiji Kava (FIJ) has partnered with the Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access (PHAMA) Plus Program to strengthen kava export opportunities.
Fiji Kava’s subsidiary, South Pacific Elixirs, will work with PHAMA Plus to ensure the high-quality, sustainable commercial production and distribution of Fijian kava to global export markets.
This includes utilising the company’s tissue culture lab, which is a world-first used to propagate disease-free plants.
“Fiji Kava’s world-first tissue culture laboratory and its network of hundreds of local Fijian farmers ensures that our supply chain is uniquely positioned to support this marquee initiative between the two countries,” Fiji Kava Founder and CEO Zane Yoshida said.
Fiji Kava is an Australian-Fijian medicinal kava company that produces natural ‘noble kava’ products.
There are two types of kava — non-noble and noble. In Fiji, only noble kava can be found and is commonly used for its medicinal and relaxation benefits.
Unlike its non-noble counterpart, noble kava is perfectly safe for consumption and doesn’t contain a high concentration of harmful chemicals. Noble kava, especially when the root is extracted using a freshwater method, reduces the chance of negative side effects such as nausea.
“It’s an honour to be chosen as the inaugural Fijian partner for the PHAMA Plus program in Fiji. We recognise the importance of this partnership to the Fijian kava community and the major opportunity which exists to export our high-quality, disease-free kava supply around the world,” Zane said.
South Pacific Elixirs and PHAMA Plus will partner on design, procurement and installation of commercial kava nurseries in Fiji. Initially, two nurseries in Ovalau and Vanua Levu will be established.
These nurseries will be optimised for the mass production of kava plants which will be distributed to the subsidiary’s network of contracted farmers.
This is set to meet the growing global demand for kava, which is expected to exceed US$210 billion (roughly A$301.3 billion) by 2026.
“Improving the quality of kava is a priority for PHAMA Plus and by partnering with an established leader in the Fijian kava industry, we are able to more effectively progress the significant export opportunities that exist across international markets for higher volumes of noble kava to benefit both exporters and local growers,” PHAMA Plus National Export Market Systems Facilitator Navitalai Tuivuniwai said.
The partnership will also focus on sustainable agricultural practices. Initiatives will be implemented to strengthen South Pacific Elixirs’ supply chain.
These initiatives include climate resilience technologies, production planning, expanding capacity, technology transfer, harvesting schedules, quality certification and overall standardisation.
This partnership has also been backed by the Australian Government, who recognises the importance of the Fijian kava industry and its social and economic importance to the nation’s agriculture.
Company shares have risen 3.85 per cent and are trading for 8.1 cents each at 10:48 am AEST.