A member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Buem Constituency of the Oti Region, Mr. Chris Addy–Nayo has called for closer collaboration between Africa and Pacific on Climate Change during a working visit to Fiji and a courtesy call to the Mayor of the major sugar producing city Lautoka, Chief Jones Nakauvadra.
The Republic of the Fiji Islands has a population of 1,000,000 and is classified as an Upper Middle-Income Country (UMIC). It consists of 332 Islands and located in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about 3,152 km from Sydney, Australia. Fiji mainly exports sugar, mineral water, fish, gold and garments. It’s export partners are Australia, the United Kingdom, United States, Singapore, Japan and New Zealand. It is a member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG), the Pacific Island Countries Trade Agreement (PICTA), the South Pacific Regional Trade and Economic Cooperation Agreement (SPARTECA), and the World Trade Organization (WTO).
During the visit, Mr. Jones Nakauvadra explained that Fiji, like most small islands developing states (SIDS), remains vulnerable to natural disasters and adverse effects of global economic crisis, and possesses a relatively narrow economic base. It is one of the foremost sugar-exporting countries within the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States but has been diversifying its economy to deal with the challenges of the fall in price of sugar on the global markets and its impact on sugar-cane producing communities on the island. Mayor Jones Nakauvadra explained that being an island country far from major markets and a narrow economic base they have had to be innovative to add value to existing products base to provide jobs for its youth, reduce poverty and to enhance sustainable development across the islands. He claimed they could not sustain the old model of just exporting sugar but rather encouraging small-scale enterprises focused on climate -resilient exports, organic farming, support to cooperatives and making individuals and families resilient to climate change and global economic challenges.
Mr. Addy-Nayo further visited the Nature Way Cooperative Plant which is a quarantine treatment plant for Fijian fruit and vegetables for exports to Australia, New Zealand and the USA. The Nature Way Cooperative owned by 260 Fruit Exporters on the island treats and packs around 1000 tons of papaya, mango, breadfruit and eggplant annually for exports. As a result, Fiji today has a thriving and growing industry in the export of fruit fly host commodities to New Zealand, Hong Kong and Australia providing jobs for numerous communities amongst its many islands.
With its focus on Youth and skills training the government has embarked on a vigorous Vocational and Technical education training to meet the needs of the new direction in its economic strategy focused on climate resilient agriculture. Mr. Addy-Nayo also paid a visit to once of Fiji’s well-known Vocational Training Institute, the Navuso Agriculture Technical Institute where the Head of the Institute, Mr Uraia Waibuta explained the important role of Technical Institutes in the governments new Agriculture strategy. He further paid a visit to one of the Pacific’s foremost Higher Institutions the University of Fiji.
Mr. Addy-Nayo called for further collaboration between Africa and the Pacific to deal with global challenges such as Climate Change, and Poverty since these respects no geographical boundaries nor distance.