Tavioka Growers Third Symposium

Plans to promote security in health, finance and food have gained mo­mentum over a symposium on the manufacture of cassava flour that took place in Suva yesterday.

Convened by the Tavioka (cassava in iTaukei language) Growers Association (TGA), the symposium discussed the production and business plans of farming tavioka in Fiji, as well as the manufacture of tavioka flour, considered worldwide as a healthier alter­native because of its gluten-free content.

More than 100 farmers from around the country attended the event that was held at the conference centre of the Wes­ley Church in downtown Suva.

A group of local corporate and business leaders are driving the formation of the Tavioka Growers Association (TGA), now a duly registered body with the Ministry of Em­ployment and Industrial Rela­tions.

The group has also regis­tered the Tavioka Growers Pte Limited with the Registrar of Companies.

Speaking to the Fiji Sun at the symposium, Ratu Josaia Rayawa, the president of Tavioka Growers Associa­tion, said the three-pronged approach of the security ben­efits of tavioka in healthy life­styles, finance and food is the guiding principle of the asso­ciation.

“This movement is not about getting rid of all the other flours we have in Fiji, but rather it is to do with giving the people of this country a healthy option of consuming gluten-free flour.

“Because as you know, the consumers are not given any other choice right now, our entire diet in Fiji seems to re­volve around flour that is not gluten-free.”

Ratu Josaia said TGA pro­moted financial security by not only offering to buy tavio­ka from farmers at farm gate prices, but in inviting growers to be owners also of the tavio­ka flour manufacturing and marketing company.

He said never before had an opportunity like this been of­fered to growers, where they would not only supply the raw material, but would be granted the opportunity to buy shares into the value adding process­ing company as well.

Ratu Josaia said: “Food se­curity is also being met in the plans by TGA to encourage the growing of tavioka as well as in value adding.

“We are not processing tavio­ka into non-foods, so the very important matter of food secu­rity is still being met.

“This is a root crop that can be easily grown in the country and more or less anyone can grow it, so TGA is passionate about getting growers to plant more tavioka because we have a ready market for it, and that the growers themselves can be owners of the entire produc­tion process.

“Done right, this can grow into a billion dollar industry in no time.

“But we will need to change the mindset of our local grow­ers first by getting them to take ownership of the entire process.”

Yesterday’s meeting iden­tified key production areas that needed attention which included tavioka cuttings, organic pest control, deliv­ery/shipping logistics and positioning a flour milling factories strategically in Fiji. Furthermore, using the agri­cultural Traseable app as well as the proposed Sole financial management software were also featured.

With over 6200 people join­ing the symposium through live-streaming and more than 16,000 who later viewed the meeting on the Tavioka Grow­ers Association Facebook page, it was resolved that as­sociation should take its mem­bership drive outside Suva, and that the Tavioka Growers Pte Ltd needed to operational­ise to oversee and manage de­velopment.

Feedback: frederica.elbourne@fijisun.com.fj