A two-hour long webinar today will address issues concerning the resumption of commercial trade of kava to Australia.

Discussions about Australia’s commercial kava pilot project will begin at 9:30am, with speakers that include Minister for International Development and the Pacific, Zed Seselja, who recently visited Fiji’s Lami Kava factory.

Talks are expected to centre on:
– permits.

– biosecurity.

– food standard of kava.

– imported food requirements, and

– monitoring and evaluation in the Pacific.

Navigate The Commercial Aspects
The webinar will be hosted by the Australian Government with the aim of helping stakeholders navigate the different aspects of the commercial kava pilot programme.

Pacific Trade Invest, the trade facilitator of the programme, said the kava industry was of great importance to the region, and was ripe with global opportunity.

“In 2019, the Australian Government announced it was stepping up its commitment to Pacific countries and their kava industries,” Pacific Trade Invest Australia general manager export, Jeremy Grennell, said.

Such commitment is evident through the launch of the kava pilot programme, which allows for the commercial importation of kava into Australia, he said.

The pilot involves the easing of import regulations for kava-related products, as of December 1, 2021, through to 2023, Mr Grenell said.

A committee will monitor and evaluate the impact of kava in the Australian community with a final evaluation report expected, he said.

Rolling Out Phase Two
Phase two of the pilot project involves the commercial importation of kava as a food item.

Imports will begin from December 2021, and run until the end of 2023.

“The pilot involves the easing of import regulations for kava related products,” Mr Grenell said.

“This will increase trade opportunities for Pacific kava exporters to the Australian market.”

Australia’s Department of Health has engaged the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC) and Ninti One to undertake the work of assessing and monitoring the trade.

“Once phase two regulations are in place, importers will need to apply to the Australian Government Department of Health’s Office of Drug Control, for a permit,” Pacific Trade Invest said.

Restrictions on the importation of kava into Australia
Australia imposed a kava ban on June 26 June, 2007.

The move followed concerns that the abuse of kava was contributing to negative health and social outcomes in some indigenous communities.

There is currently an exemption that allows incoming passengers (18 years or over) to bring up to four kilogrammes of kava (in the root or dried form only) into Australia in their accompanied baggage.

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