FIJI exported its first pilot consignment of fresh agricultural produce to the Republic of Naoero last night, sending 54 boxes of fruits, vegetables and root crops grown and harvested by farmers across Viti Levu under a regional partnership.
The consignment was exported under the Pacific Fresh AirLink (PFAL) initiative, part of the Food and Nutrition Security project coordinated by the Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF) and followed a Memorandum of Understanding between PIDF and New Valley Processors (Fiji) Limited (NVPL) signed on July 23, 2026.
The produce, which departed Nadi Airport on a Nauru Airlines flight and has since arrived in Naoero, included eggplants, long beans, telegraph cucumbers, English cabbage, cassava, watermelons, pineapples, tomatoes, taro leaves, taro, papayas, bananas, kumquats and lemons.
PIDF Secretary General Arpana Pratap said the consignment demonstrated Fiji’s potential to expand its agriculture sector beyond the local market and supply Pacific neighbours.
“Fiji has fertile land, favorable climatic conditions and hardworking farmers that can till the land, grow vegetables and crops that has a demand in the Northern Pacific market,” Pratap said.
She said the first consignment had faced challenges but was completed with support from NVPL, Nauru Airlines and the farmers.
“While we encountered some challenges in preparing this first pilot consignment, we successfully worked through them,” Pratap said.
“This achievement would not have been possible without the support of our project partners, including NVPL, Nauru Airlines and the dedicated farmers.”
The PFAL initiative was set up to support exports of fresh agricultural produce from Fijian farmers to regional markets, create new economic opportunities for local producers and improve access to fresh and nutritious food in Pacific communities.
NVPL Chief Executive Officer Navitalai Tuivuniwai said the company had visited farmers across Viti Levu to ensure that the quality and quantity of produce met export-market requirements.
“This first pilot consignment involved a lot of planning, discussions and meeting the farmers as well to ensure that we are able to meet the deadline for the flight,” Tuivuniwai said.
“I am pleased that we were able to do so and we will continue to work with the PIDF to export more to the Northern Pacific because at the end of the day, our goal is to support and improve the economic livelihood of our farmers.”
NVPL supplies seedlings to its cluster of farmers to help scale commercial production and processing of high-value crops and create market opportunities for growers, Tuivuniwai said. A Biosecurity Authority of Fiji official conducted the necessary inspections before the consignment was loaded onto the Nauru Airlines flight.
