Promoting workplace inclusion and domestic violence prevention

NEWS

January 6, 2025

The Australia and New Zealand-funded Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access Plus (PHAMA Plus) Program and Lami Kava partnered with Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre to support the development of a Workplace Domestic Violence Policy and to train management and staff in the policy application and on eliminating Gender Based Violence. We also partnered with the Pacific Disability Forum to deliver disability inclusion training to support Lami Kava to develop a

New Child Safeguarding Policy set for Niue’s Chamber of Commerce

December 23, 2024

The Australia and New Zealand supported Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access Plus (PHAMA Plus) Program partnered with the Niue Chamber of Commerce to develop the country’s first ever Child Safeguarding Policy. The policy articulates the Chamber’s approach to ensuring children are safeguarded and protected in the implementation of the Chamber and its members’ work. The policy and associated guidance notes detail how the chamber will assess child safeguarding risks, apply mitigation

New plant varieties for Samoan women in ornamental horticulture

December 19, 2024

A new shipment of orchids and anthuriums arrived today in Samoa, marking another milestone in the ongoing efforts of the Australia and New Zealand supported Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access Plus (PHAMA Plus) Program to grow the ornamental industry in Samoa. The second phase of this initiative supports the remarkable work of Samoan women and villagers who cultivate a wide range of ornamental plants and floriculture products. The plants

Partnership boosts workplace equality and safety initiatives

December 16, 2024

Kaiming Agro-Processing is one of the largest suppliers of ginger in the world.The PHAMA Plus Program partnered with Kaiming to support the procurement of new equipment and improvements to processing facilities, and the development and adoption of inclusive business processes and practices. Specifically, through the partnership Kaiming has established a safe, secure and comfortable accommodation facility for women workers from remote locations saving them from long travel times or expensive

Making a significant impact on the quality of dried cacao beans & kava

December 13, 2024

The Australia and New Zealand funded Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access Plus (PHAMA Plus) Program is proud to announce a major milestone in improving agricultural practices in rural Vanuatu. In partnership with the Vanuatu Primary Producers Authority the successful handover of second-generation solar dryer materials is transforming the way cacao and kava are processed in local communities. Building on the success of the program’s first phase, these upgraded solar dryers are

Support to meet the evolving needs of international markets while promoting sustainability & growth

December 10, 2024

Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access Plus (PHAMA Plus) Program is pleased to announce its partnership with Foundations for Farming in Samoa to expand their crop processing facility and strengthen their export business. Providing a reefer container for cold storage and essential processing equipment will support Foundations for Farming to improve their capacity to meet growing demand for their fresh and frozen produce in Australia, American Samoa and New Zealand.

PHAMA Plus: Supporting Fiji’s Agribusiness Innovation

November 30, 2024

PHAMA Plus: Supporting Fiji’s Agribusiness Innovation The Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access Plus (PHAMA Plus) program, funded by Australia and New Zealand, proudly sponsored the Agribusiness Innovation Award at the 2024 Prime Ministers International Business Awards. The award celebrates the outstanding efforts of those in Fiji’s agribusiness sector who are driving positive change through new technologies, sustainable practices and inclusive business models. PHAMA Plus is pleased to congratulate this

Boosting speciality cacao exports in Vanuatu

August 1, 2024

Boosting speciality cacao exports in Vanuatu The Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access Plus (PHAMA Plus) Program, supported by Australia and New Zealand, is working with Vanuatu’s Gaston Chocolat Limited to increase processing, storage, quality standards and marketing of specialty cacao, which drives high incomes for farmers. In 2023, Vanuatu exported 1,800 tonnes of bulk cacao, compared with only 80 tonnes of specialty cacao, which are high-quality cocoa beans. Specialty

Modernising Fiji’s capacity for fresh produce exports

June 7, 2024

Fresh produce exports from Fiji will soon benefit from an upgraded treatment facility, following a new partnership agreement signed between Nature’s Way Cooperative (Fiji) Ltd and the Australian and New Zealand supported Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access Plus (PHAMA Plus) Program. Announced yesterday by New Zealand Prime Minister Rt Hon Christopher Luxon during his first official visit to Fiji, the partnership focuses on upgrading the software, hardware, and operational

RESTORING LAND THROUGH SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES

June 5, 2024

PHAMA Plus partner Melesisi Finefeuiaki of Lotopoha Export Trading uses mulch and intercropping for better soil health on her taro farm in Tonga. World Environment Day 2024 focuses on restoring land, addressing desertification, and building resilience to drought. “Land sustains all forms of life through an ecosystem. Intensification of agricultural practices, however, has been a key driver in the loss of biodiversity and has enhanced the impact of climate change,”

Boosting Tonga’s Watermelon exports with better storage

May 27, 2024

Tonga’s watermelon exports will soon benefit from improved cold storage and smart irrigation systems, following a new partnership signed between Nishi Trading Company Limited and the Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access Plus (PHAMA Plus) Program. Supported by Australia and New Zealand, PHAMA Plus is working with Nishi Trading to upgrade their existing cold storage facility and pilot a new irrigation system to enhance drought resilience and increase yields and

Growing Tonga’s exports through enhanced fumigation services

May 7, 2024

Exporters in Tonga will soon benefit from improved access to timely fumigation services following a new partnership signed between the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forests (MAFF) and the Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access Plus (PHAMA Plus) Program. Supported by Australia and New Zealand, PHAMA Plus is working with MAFF to enhance the capacity and efficiency of its fumigation services by revising the existing facility’s operational and safety procedures

PHAMA Plus Pounds the way for Kava Farmers in Samoa

April 9, 2024

‘Ava (kava in Samoan) farmers on the big island of Savaii in Samoa, will soon enjoy the benefits of being able to supply higher quality, processed ‘ava to their customers in domestic and export markets. Five commercial ‘ava farmers are partnering with the Australia and New Zealand supported Pacific Horticultural & Agricultural Market Access Plus (PHAMA Plus) Program, to co-invest in improved processing facilities that will allow each farmer to

Women on the Frontline: Samantha Defies the Odds

March 28, 2024

Samantha Maeke has defied the odds — and societal expectations in her native Solomon Islands — to end up where she is today. She plays a prominent role in the country’s agribusiness sector as the Country Manager of the Australia and New Zealand-supported PHAMA Plus Program in Solomon Islands. Sam, as she is widely known, is one of four women country managers out of a total of seven who lead

National Ginger workshop to pave the way forward

March 21, 2024

Over the years, Fiji’s ginger industry has provided employment, sustained our farmers’ socio-economic livelihood, contributed significantly to our export earnings, and has been the main source of income for our local ginger suppliers and retailers. These were the remarks by Minister for Agriculture and Waterways, Honourable Vatimi Rayalu when opening the National Ginger Workshop in Suva on Thursday 7 March, 2024. The workshop was facilitated by the Ministry of Agriculture

Taking PNG speciality coffee to the world

March 4, 2024

Every drink of coffee enjoyed today carries stories untold. Stories of hardship, risk and sacrifice that wouldn’t normally be found on product packaging. Stories that help us better appreciate the journey and the people behind the fix. Located in Papua New Guinea’s mountainous Highlands region, Jiwaka Province is home to thousands of coffee-farming households. The journey of getting coffee cherries to the nearest coffee mill usually starts with a long

MAF partners with PHAMA Plus to address taro shortage in Samoa

February 14, 2024

From Left Samoa’s Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Fosi Schmidt, and PHAMA Plus Country Manager, Kuinimeri Finau during the official signing of the MOU. MAF partners with PHAMA Plus to address taro shortage in Samoa The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF) has signed a new partnership with the Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access Plus (PHAMA Plus) Program to address the reduction in supply of

Deepti’s Science Fair

February 9, 2024

Deepti Devi has been a member of a research team led by Prof. Pasinszki, conducting research across Kava-growing regions in Fiji. Deepti’s Science Fair Deepti Devi has always had a keen interest in science. As a young girl, Deepti conducted simple experiments at home out of curiosity. This interest led her to pursue her studies and a career in teaching science. Now, she’s pivoted from teaching to researching about kava

REVIVING THE ART OF ‘KAMAIMAI’

December 18, 2023

Nau and Takaniko Ruabete are coconut nectar suppliers on Rabi. REVIVING THE ART OF ‘KAMAIMAI’ The rich aroma of freshly cooked kamaimai, or coconut nectar, permeates through Takaniko and Nau Ruabete’s home in Buakonikai Village on Rabi Island. It’s a daily activity for the couple as they ready bottles of kamaimai made by extracting the sap of coconut blossoms, known as toddy tapping, which is then boiled to create a

Niue’s Taz Poultry Gains Insights with knowledge exchange mission

December 1, 2023

Taz Poultry owners Gaylene and John Tasmania visited one of the largest Chicken Feeds suppliers in Fiji – Pacific Feeds Limited. Niue is home to a family-owned business known as Taz Poultry, the island nation’s sole producer of local eggs. The poultry farm business, managed by couple John and Gaylene Tasmania, has been in operation since 2018. The business heavily relies on the importation of chicken feeds from New Zealand