Opposition demands certainty for agarwood farmers

Government wants to develop Fiji’s emerging agarwood industry, but the Opposition says farmers need clear targets, financing and guaranteed markets before committing to a crop that may take years to produce returns.

In Parliament this morning, Opposition MP Semi Koroilavesau said agarwood had genuine potential to create new income opportunities for farmers, but Government needed to provide greater certainty before encouraging investment.

Mr Koroilavesau questioned how many hectares Government planned to establish, how many farmers would benefit, how much funding had been allocated and whether market agreements were already in place to guarantee fair prices for growers.

He said farmers also needed quality planting material, technical support, affordable financing and clear policies.

“Agarwood has genuine potential,” he said, but warned that its success would depend on proper planning, transparency, scientific research and long-term support for farmers.

Meanwhile, Government plans to continue agarwood inoculation trials and allocate funding over the next five years for research and the development of an agarwood guideline for Fiji.

Mr Koroilavesau said the Government’s plans needed to be supported by a broader national forestry strategy covering mahogany, indigenous forests, sustainable harvesting and carbon markets.

He said Fiji had about 70,000 hectares of mahogany plantations but was yet to fully tap their carbon potential.

Mr Koroilavesau said Government needed to turn the country’s forestry resources into greater economic opportunities while protecting the environment.