Salutations;
Cola vina, Ara na yadra, As-salāmu ʿalaykum, Namaste, and a very warm greeting to one and all.
It is a great honour to be here today to officiate the groundbreaking ceremony of the new processing and cold chain facility for New Valley Processing (Fiji) Ltd. What started off as a dream of like-minded farmers and businessmen a couple of years ago has now come to fruition.
The name New Valley has popped up more than once in my discussions with my team, and I have been briefed about the amazing things your company is doing to try and revolutionise farming in Fiji—especially in helping our rural farmers who are often overlooked in mainstream agribusiness due to their remote location, challenging terrain, and logistical constraints.
I am particularly drawn to the powerful meaning behind New Valley’s slogan — “Markets Beyond Mountains.” It captures the very heart of what we are trying to achieve for our rural and hard-to-reach farmers. For too long, geographic isolation has stood between our farmers and the markets they deserve.
But this slogan reflects a bold new vision — one where distance is no longer a barrier, and where even the most remote communities can connect to global opportunities. New Valley is not just bringing markets closer; it is bringing hope, empowerment, and a pathway to better livelihoods for our farmers.
Many of these farmers are surviving on subsistence livelihoods with almost no opportunity to engage in commercial or even semi-commercial farming. The New Valley model presents a unique and innovative concept for rural Fijian farmers.
I am told that the company is ready to provide support at
every step — from land preparation to agro-input and seedling support, and ultimately the procurement of produce at premium farm gate pricing. This is indeed a unique proposition, and I am sure it will make life easier and more profitable for these farmers — and certainly one that the Fijian Government is excited to support.
The 10,400 farmers from 126 clusters, spanning from Rakiraki to Sigatoka, are proof that a single company can create a ripple effect across a large section of our population.
When we speak of rural farming in Fiji, we must give due recognition to the highland provinces of Ra, Naitasiri, and Nadroga-Navosa. These regions are home to some of our most resilient and hardworking farmers — men and women who rise before dawn, trek across steep ridges, and work lands passed down through generations.
In these communities, farmers cultivate crops on terraced slopes and river valleys — and they grow some of the best root crops and vegetables that feed both local and urban markets. Yet for too long, these provinces have remained on the periphery of commercial agriculture due to poor access roads, lack of cold storage, and limited financial services.
This is why New Valley’s reach into these highlands is both visionary and vital — it opens the door for these remote farming communities to participate meaningfully in the national economy.
Today, we gather in the heart of the Sabeto Valley to witness this important milestone — the groundbreaking ceremony of the New Valley processing facility, a project that signals a bold new direction for our agriculture sector and rural economy.
This project exemplifies our Government’s vision to strengthen the agriculture sector as a key pillar of economic growth. Agriculture remains the backbone of many of our rural economies. It is the source of food, income, and dignity for thousands of Fijian families. And through projects like New Valley, we are taking practical steps to increase productivity, promote value-adding and exports, and improve the livelihoods of our farmers.
Ladies and gentlemen, your government is taking all the necessary steps to support and revitalise the agriculture sector. In the 2024–2025 National Budget, we increased the allocation to the Ministry of Agriculture to reflect our commitment to this vital industry.
We are also investing in the next generation of farmers by expanding training facilities and programs to equip young people with modern agricultural skills — such as initiatives at the Navuso Agriculture Technical Institute and the Tutu Training Centre.
At the same time, we’re strengthening the connection between farmers and markets through improved farm access, land development, and better machinery support. Public-private partnerships are helping farming clusters and cooperatives share essential equipment like tractors and harvesters — because we believe in empowering farmers to grow more, earn more, and work together toward a stronger agricultural economy.
Ladies and gentlemen, the days of equipping our farmers only with kutari, selekava, and mataiva and expecting radical changes in farm production are long gone. Our forefathers toiled the land with sweat and grit.
But today, technology offers us smarter ways to farm — more yield, less cost. Your government wants to see farmers adopting these smart farming techniques. We cannot rely on old methods alone. We must adapt and modernise.
Simple innovations like weed mats can help with farm maintenance. Protected crop farming can shield vegetables from prolonged droughts or heavy rain — conditions we know all too well. The focus must now shift to teaching our farmers how to get the best possible yield using the most cost-effective methods.
This is where we will need the expertise of our development partners and foreign governments — to help us adopt the best practices from around the world.
We also want to see greater focus on research and development — especially in food science and product development. Fiji is blessed with some of the most fertile organic soils and the richest tropical climate in the world.
The taste and nutritional profile of our crops cannot be replicated. But sometimes, the remoteness of our islands and the cost of logistics prevent our fresh or frozen produce from reaching markets in prime conditions.
So, we must ask — instead of shipping container-loads of fresh produce at low margins, how can we turn our crops into high-value, niche products? Products with longer shelf life. Products that tell a story of Fijian origin, taste, and purity.
This is where we need food technologists, packaging engineers, product designers, and marketers — professionals who can help us build product profiles, brand identities, and shelf-ready items for global markets.
The world is shifting toward plant-based products and organic, traceable food sources. Consumers are becoming more selective —they want to know how their food was grown, and where.
Fiji is ready to meet that demand. But we must be bold in our vision, strategic in our partnerships, and scientific in our approach.
Government, through the Ministries of Agriculture’s local programning, Foreign Affairs’ promotion of Fiji as a tourism and investment destination and the Ministry of Trade, Cooperative and SME’s establishment of a Commercial Agriculture Taskforce drive investment and unlock the full potential of our agriculture and aquaculture sectors.
The Taskforce is actively supporting investors by facilitating land access and identifying high-potential crops — from aquaculture and coffee to medicinal herbs. We are also promoting organic exports, agro-processing, and climate-smart agriculture.
Already, we’re seeing momentum. Multinational companies like Fiji Water and Aitken Spence from Sri Lanka have expressed interest in commercial agriculture here at home. Another investor from Papua New Guinea is now in talks with FNPF and BSP.
These are the beginning of a new era of investor confidence in our agriculture sector. With the right partnerships, we believe Fiji can feed the region — and beyond.
Let me assure you: your Government is not stopping here. We want to build on this momentum and do even more in the coming months — working hand in hand with our rural communities, partners, and the private sector to unlock the full potential of Fiji’s agriculture, and connecting these to external markets.
I want to take this opportunity to commend the leadership of the New Valley team for their foresight, their commitment to partnership with local communities, and their drive to link farmers from the most remote parts of Fiji to global markets. This is exactly the kind of inclusive, ground-up development we want to see more of in this country.
To our development partners and donor agencies, I encourage you to continue supporting such local initiatives. The impact of your investment is not just measured in GDP or volumes exported, but in lives changed — in families who are able to send their children to school, build better homes, and live with dignity through farming.
The Government of Fiji stands ready to provide ongoing assistance and support to this project. We believe in the potential of our farmers. And we believe that with the right support, the rural economy can be a powerful engine for inclusive and sustainable growth.
Let us work together — government, private sector, donors, and communities — to make New Valley not just a success story, but a model for other parts of Fiji.
Vinaka vakalevu, and may God bless New Valley and its Management, our hardworking farmers and their families. I relay my best wishes to the team here and the important journey we are embarking on today.