Overview
The agriculture sector has traditionally been the backbone of Fiji’s economy as it supports the livelihoods of just over a quarter of Fiji’s population and is the main source of work for more than 83 percent of Fiji’s rural population. The sector is vital to Fiji’s economy for income generation and food security and contributes significantly to Fiji’s GDP. In 2022, primary industries (agriculture, forestry, and fisheries) accounted for about 9.2 percent of Fiji’s GDP (Source: World Bank). The Fiji government is focused on increasing the non-sugar subsector’s performance and has offered tax incentives to attract private sector investment into the sector. Papayas, pineapples, and bananas are the major fruit commodities, but there are a few establishments engaged in processing local fruits and vegetables, mainly for the domestic market, and in producing fruit juice concentrates (pineapple, orange, guava, mango, passion fruit, and other citrus fruit juices). A small but growing volume of high-quality niche agricultural commodities, including certified organic coconut and ginger products, chocolate, and kava is also exported. There is potential in the agro-processing sector for value-adding and niche- market processing of commodities.
The Fiji government is collaborating with development partners to increase linkages between the agriculture and tourism sectors, and to maximize benefits to local farmers and the economy. Fiji is dependent on imported produce to meet the tourism sector’s demand of fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, seafood, and dairy products. The sector also faces several challenges including natural disasters, inadequate infrastructure, and high transportation and input costs.
Leading sub-sectors:
- Agro-processing: value-adding for niche products
- Cold storage
- Livestock farming
Opportunities
Investment, equipment, and supplies needed to expand and support these industries are in demand.