An additional hundred tonnes of mature Fijian grown ginger is on its way to the US market.
Along the margins of the recent “Sustainable Development Goals Action Weekend” at the United Nations Headquarters, New York organised by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), Minister for Trade, Co-operatives, SMEs and Communications Manoa Kamikamica met with “The Ginger People” alongside other leading investors and importers of Fiji products in California.
Accompanied by Fiji’s Trade Commissioner to North America, Alika Cooper, the meeting with the founders of “The Ginger People” was hailed a success after the announcement of the new export shipment.
In harmony with supporting Fiji based smallholder ginger farmers, The Ginger People are the largest North American importer of Fiji value-added ginger products and have been importing and distributing ginger products from Fiji for the past 11 years.
The Ginger People’s local manufacturing partner in Fiji, “Kaiming Agro Processing PTE Ltd” also known as “Kaiming Agro” is an agriculture based, export-oriented food manufacturer and exporter based in Navua involved with processing ginger value-added products, and has thirty-eight (38) different varieties of ginger confectionary products, in addition to the export of turmeric and kava.
During the meeting with The Ginger People, discussions considered closely the support for Fiji Ginger value-added products, progressing the Fiji ginger industry and above all – leveraging opportunities for smallholder ginger farmers.
“At present, our ginger sector faces challenges in terms of market access, excess production and future opportunities for value added products made from Fiji grown ginger, so our conversation centred on purchasing some of the excess ginger that Fiji farmers have on the ground,” said DPM Kamikamica.
Consequently, discussions with The Ginger People and Kaiming Agro Processing Ltd has enabled Kaiming Agro to purchase an additional hundred (100) metric tonnes of mature Fiji ginger, that will be processed into value-added ginger products for the North American Market.
At present, Kaiming Agro has been purchasing mature ginger for this order from small farmers first to assist them in selling their ginger.
“We are very pleased to have met with The Ginger People in September to both build a relationship and to discuss future opportunities for Fiji Ginger.”
“We are grateful for their support and look forward to working with them in future – with the additional 100 tonnes of mature ginger that Kaiming Agro will purchase, this will assist small ginger farmers who did not have a market, sell their ginger and make an income for their hard work,” said DPM Kamikamica.
The Ministry of Trade, Co-operatives, SMEs and Communications and the Fiji Trade Commission – North America has been actively working with Kaiming Agro Processing to support the growth of Fiji Ginger, and other products that Kaiming Agro is developing.
