Amongst the Fiji delegation for the Fiji North – America Business Mission conducted market visits in Surrey, Canada yesterday were our very own exporters from the Fiji islands.

The notable members that attended would be the Agriculture Marketing Authority, Ranviz Farm Fresh Produce, Kavalicious (Fiji) Pte Limited, Pleass Global Limited, and Sea and Soil Pte Limited, who are all eager to tap into the illustrious North American markets.

The event was facilitated by a collaboration between Investment Fiji and The Ministry of Trade, Cooperatives, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Communications, along with the Fiji Trade Commission North America, in order to foster bilateral trade relations between North America and Fiji.

During the visit, the delegation toured local stores in Surrey, Canada, which are owned by former Fiji citizens and specialize in selling authentic Fijian products.

In addition to the tour, they also engaged in constructive dialogues with a major distributor responsible for importing Fijian products to be retailed across Canada. The engagements also were on topics centered around exploring avenues for the distribution and the sale of Fijian products through the distributor’s network.

Both the delegations had expressed their keen interest in further collaboration.

Ranviz Farm Fresh Produce director, Ranjita Devi has expressed the optimism about the potential market expansion. She had further added that they had to look into product packaging and labeling according to the standards there.

She also reiterated that they were able to learn about the demand for new varieties of products and how the people were able to adapt to new tastes; She also stated that as they were already exporting to New Zealand and Australia, she says that it would be a great achievement if they could secure a market in Canada.

Kavalicious (Fiji) Pte Limited Director Ana Malumuvatu, shared similar sentiments, highlighting the networking opportunities during the market visit.

She says that it was a great networking opportunity and that she was able to exchange contacts and pitch other Kava-related products as well as, products like Kava biscuits. She also says that the discussions received a positive response from the businesses she had met.

Moreover, the exporters have been committed to providing the samples of their products to Canadian stores, facilitating further negotiations and market penetration strategies.

Kamal Chetty, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Investment Fiji, emphasized the strategic significance of this mission in strengthening Fiji’s export sector.

He highlighted that the Fiji North-America Business Mission served as a great platform for Fijian exporters to explore and capitalize on emerging market opportunities in North America. He also stated that that they are committed to facilitating these types of initiatives that contribute to the growth and diversification of Fiji’s export portfolio.