NEWS

NEW ORNAMENTAL VARIETIES TO BRING MORE BEAUTY TO SAMOA

New ornamental varieties to bring more beauty to Samoa New varieties of exotic orchids and ornamental plants have been introduced for cultivation in Samoa to bolster the country’s blooming ornamental horticulture sector. The move is part of a collaboration between the Australia and New Zealand-supported Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access Plus Program and local grower groups – Fa’alapotopotoga Aiga Ma’ale’ale (FAMA) and Organic Mothers of the New Earth (OMONEA),

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FNU launches new partnership with PHAMA Plus

The Fiji National University (FNU) and the Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access Plus (PHAMA Plus) Program today launched a collaborative research initiative for locally grown kava. As part of efforts to improve the consistency and reliability of Fiji’s kava production and grow exports of quality kava products, FNU’s College of Engineering, Science and Technology and PHAMA Plus have partnered to conduct a study that looks at the kavalactone content

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Better drying to boost kava quality

Better drying to boost kava quality Satuala Developments will soon see improvements in the processing of its kava with the installation of a solar dryer, following an agreement being signed with the Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access Plus (PHAMA Plus) program. The Australia and New Zealand supported program is supporting Satuala to adopt a self-build solar dryer for their kava, which uses a greenhouse-style model that has proven successful

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Solutions to Plastic Pollution

World Environment Day 2023 is a reminder that people’s actions on plastic pollution matters. The steps governments and businesses are taking to tackle plastic pollution are the consequence of this action. The Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access Plus Program (PHAMA Plus) PHAMA Plus builds environmental sustainability and climate and disaster resilience in its program activities and interventions.  To do this, PHAMA Plus is guided by its Environment, Climate, and

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Partnership a boost to coconut nectar production in Rabi

Partnership a boost to coconut nectar production in Rabi Fijian business Marama Niu is boosting the production of coconut nectar as a healthier alternative to ordinary sugar, following a partnership with the Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access Plus Program (PHAMA Plus). The Australia and New Zealand supported collaboration looks to enhance the quality and standardisation of Marama Niu’s coconut nectar products for domestic and overseas markets. This provides sustainable

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Turning bananas into chips in Niue

Turning bananas into chips in Niue In Niue’s humble industrious capital – Alofi, local entrepreneur Feofaaki Sakalia Fou can be found busy in her home kitchen, meticulously turning banana into chips. It has been the way of life for Feo, as she is commonly known, seeing her mother make and sell banana chips and now, her husband and children. This is the mainstay of their small family business called Lupe

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Taking Abau cocoa from PNG to the world

Taking Abau cocoa from PNG to the world As a boy, Kingstan Kamuri spent many days traversing the ruins of old plantations along the coast of the Central Province of Papua New Guinea (PNG). Thanks to his father’s enthusiasm for the great outdoors, Kamuri developed a passion for hunting, trekking, and exploring the remains of what were once great farming estates in Abau. “I grew up seeing most of the

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Brewing a better future for PNG coffee

Brewing a better future for PNG coffee The Papua New Guinea Coffee Industry Working Group (Coffee IWG) reconvened in Port Moresby on Tuesday 21 March, 2023 after a lapse of two years to discuss all things coffee. The meeting was jointly organised by the Coffee Industry Corporation (CIC), Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access Plus (PHAMA Plus) Program and the Australia–Papua New Guinea Economic Partnership (APEP). The meeting was attended

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New multipurpose packhouse facility to boost Tonga’s root crops export

New multipurpose packhouse facility to boost Tonga’s root crops export Leading Tongan export business Lotopoha Export Trading will soon complete the construction of a multi-purpose packhouse facility for root crops following a new partnership signed recently with the Pacific Horticulture and Agricultural Market Access Plus Program (PHAMA Plus). The partnership builds on PHAMA Plus’ prior collaboration with Lotopoha to improve Tonga’s root crops export capacity and meet increasing quality requirements

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Q&A with Dr Seeseei Molimau-Samasoni

Q&A with Dr Seeseei Molimau-Samasoni Samoa’s Dr Seeseei Molimau-Samasoni is a leader in her field, championing women and girls and advancing innovative practices and transformative technology that help forge positive change in Samoa and the Pacific. In 2008, Dr Molimau-Samasoni graduated from the University of Newcastle as an expert in biotechnology. On her return to Samoa, she played a crucial role in the establishment of an accredited laboratory at the

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Solomon Islands launches new quality standard and industry group

In a milestone move for its emerging kava industry, the Solomon Islands today launched its National Kava Quality Standard and a Kava Industry Working Group (Kava IWG) with the support of the Australia and New Zealand funded Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access Plus (PHAMA Plus) program. A first for the country, the kava quality standard and IWG mark a significant progress in the ongoing efforts to improve kava quality

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Brewing a better future for PNG women in coffee: PNG WICA signs new partnership with PHAMA Plus

Brewing a better future for PNG women in coffee: PNG WICA signs new partnership with PHAMA Plus The Papua New Guinea Women in Coffee Association (WICA) has entered into a new partnership agreement that will continue strengthening the vital role of women in PNG’s reinvigorated coffee industry. WICA has renewed its partnership with the Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access Plus Program (PHAMA) to pave a path towards a vibrant

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Navigating viable export pathways for Tonga’s agricultural trade

Navigating viable export pathways for Tonga’s agricultural trade Tonga’s agricultural trade of fresh produce to overseas markets is often impacted by the availability and affordability of shipping, a constraint further exacerbated by the global COVID-19 pandemic and recent crises. Finding cost effective solutions and actions to address shipping constraints will help maintain Tonga’s agricultural trade with key markets such as Australia and New Zealand and help ‘navigate’ new viable export

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Introducing the General Manager, Market Access Chair and Boss blo Copra: Schola Aitora

Introducing the General Manager, Market Access Chair and Boss blo Copra: Schola Aitora If Schola Aitora is frank – and she invariably is – agriculture was the last thing this dynamic businesswoman from Papua New Guinea expected to become her life-long passion and profession. “As a child, picking coffee berries and cocoa beans was just a game. All through my childhood we did it, although even back then we knew

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Rise of Lotopoha: The Story of Tonga’s Only Woman Root Crops Exporter

Rise of Lotopoha: The Story of Tonga’s Only Woman Root Crops Exporter A Farming Pedigree Farming root crops has always been a part of Melesisi Finefeuiaki’s life. The granddaughter of a Tongan noble, Melesisi grew up surrounded by farming, that was traditionally tendered by her grandfather and then by her father in their ancestral lands at the village of Kolonga, located in eastern part of Tongatapu, Tonga’s main island. It

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Premium sun dried Solomon Islands cocoa exported to the United Kingdom

Premium sun dried Solomon Islands cocoa exported to the United Kingdom Solomon Islands today sent its first Less-than-container Load (LCL) shipment of premium cocoa to chocolatiers in the United Kingdom as part of an innovative new pilot project. This container, which had cocoa beans from 50 farmer groups and consolidators across Guadalcanal and Isabel, was shipped under the Less Than a Container Load (LCL) Access to Markets project, piloted by

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Brewing a better future for PNG women in coffee: PNG WICA joins IWCA as local chapter

Add Your Heading Text Here The PNG Women in Coffee Association (WICA) is stepping into the international scene as Papua New Guinea’s national chapter for the International Women’s Coffee Alliance (IWCA). PNG WICA today signed a memorandum of understanding with IWCA to formalise the chapter, establishing a collaborative partnership for the empowerment of its more than 6,000 members who are coffee growers and women in coffee businesses including co-operatives. It’s

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Lami Kava launches Domestic Violence and Workplace Policy on #IWD22

Lami Kava launches Domestic Violence and Workplace Policy on #IWD22 Lami Kava, one of Fiji’s leading kava exporters, broke new ground today with the launch of its policy on domestic violence to build a more respectful and supportive workplace. It’s a significant move for the company and for Fiji as more employers are addressing domestic violence, which affects two out of three women in the country. The company’s Managing Director,

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Challenge for an equal world

Challenge for an equal world Women continue to shape the world and undeniably play a crucial role in the agriculture sector. But while there have been positive changes, more needs to be done so that women across agricultural value chains are economically empowered and have equal access to the right resources. This is part of a wider global call today on International Women’s Day to “Break the Bias” and help

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Solar drying revolution: Vanuatu cacao, kava farmers explore solar drying technology

Solar drying revolution: Vanuatu cacao, kava farmers explore solar drying technology Solar drying is becoming a popular method for agricultural producers globally to improve efficiency and product quality. For farmers and exporters in Vanuatu, adopting this innovative technology can ensure consistent supply of high-quality produce that meets export market requirements. The Pacific Agricultural Market Access Plus (PHAMA Plus) Program is supporting the Vanuatu Primary Producers Authority (VPPA) and its members

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