Fiji aims to become a global chocolate brand.
This was emphasized by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade, Co-operatives, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Manoa Kamikamica during a recent visit to She Universe, a chocolate cafe in Christchurch, New Zealand.
The delegation led by Kamikamica met Suzanne Johnson, who has over 20 years of experience in the chocolate industry and is involved with Grow Asia Pacific, a non-government organization working with farmers to improve quality, production and adopt best agricultural practices.
Kamikamica says the team is currently rehabilitating cocoa in Samoa and the Solomon Islands while collaborating with several cocoa farmers in Fiji.
He says the visit is focused on the need to revive the cocoa industry in Fiji and the potential for the country to establish itself as a global chocolate brand similar to initiatives in Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands.
Chocolate makers in New Zealand and Australia are increasingly choosing cacao beans from the Pacific due to its favorable climate, soil and the involvement of farmers particularly women farmers.
Kamikamica says the engagement of grassroots-level farmers in Fiji along with a well-conceived industry structure is vital for the re-growth of Fiji's cocoa industry.
Kamikamica thanked Johnson for her hospitality and looked forward to future collaboration and dialogue to revive the cocoa industry in Fiji.
