A market for Island Crops
The Agriculture Marketing Authority (AMA) trading as Fiji Agromarketing buys food crops – dalo, cassava and fish from Vanua Levu and other islands.
AMA chief executive officer Setareki Tale said that they prioritised food crops from islands because they did not know when they were harvested.
“As soon as they arrive we process them until they’re packaged and put into the freezer ready for overseas export,” he said.
AMA has agents based in the islands who bought food crops from farmers.
“There are other business people also buying from the islands so the competition was tight,” he said.
“We also buy yaqona. We just bought yaqona from Nabukelevu that were damaged by Tropical Cyclone Sarai.”
“We buy in cash to help those from those in the islands and they use the money for the education of their children and other family commitments.”
The AMA, he said, used more than $340,000 every month to purchase from farmers in Viti Levu, Vanua Levu and those from the islands.
AMA also buys fish and it has ice plants in some islands for fish storage.
Last week they were at Udu Point to buy fish from the area.
From Totoya and Moala they bought coconuts and sasa brooms.
More about AMA:
The Agriculture Marketing Authority Act No. 2 of 2004 established the Agricultural Marketing Authority to facilitate the purchase, sale and exportation of Agro-produce and for related matters.
Functions of the Authority:
The authority will provide the following services as covered in the AMA Act:
■ To assist the producers of Agro-produce in marketing of their products.
■ To identify markets for and to facilitate and develop marketing of agro-produce.
■ To purchase, sell and export and import agro-produce or import agro-input.
■ To do any other thing necessary to properly carry out its functions and powers under this AMA Act.