Following a number of low output years, NWC realised that there was a need to assist their farmer/exporter members in addressing a number of the research problems affecting the supply of produce for export. NWC concluded that if they did not help address these issues the quarantine treatment business would be at serious risk.
In July 2009, the NWC Field Service was revamped to become the NWC Research and Extension Service and began implementation of the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) – funded Fiji Papaya Project and later the ACIAR funded Pacific Breadfruit Project. Through a partnership approach NWC has fostered research relationships with the Ministry of Agriculture, Biosecurity Authority of Fiji and the Secretariat of the Community.
NWC works directly with its member farmers and exporters for all applied research work and has achieved a number of major successes using this model.
Papaya Research work
Much of the NWC applied research work on papaya was carried out under the ACIAR funded Fiji Papaya Project (FPP). The FPP was officially completed in July 2015 although much of the ongoing work and information dissemination has been institutionalized through the NWC Research and Extension Programme. Some hallmark successes of the Fiji Papaya Project include:
Establishment of a certified seed producer’s scheme for Fiji Red Papaya based on research findings which is now run as a commercial scheme managed by NWC with oversight from the Ministry of Agriculture.
Investment in a commercial hot water dipping treatment available to Fiji papaya exporters through NWC. This treatment was developed through four years of post harvest research led by NWC. The treatment is expected to overcome a major source of post- harvest loss currently being suffered by the industry. It has the potential to save the industry approximately $2 million annually.
Encouraged commercial investment at the farm and exporter level in organic papaya production based on research findings and economic analysis.
Development of technologies supporting sea freight of papaya from Fiji to New Zealand. Research findings indicate a 50% savings in freight with no reduction in fruit quality, NWC and exporters are making investments based on this research to make regular sea freight a part of the industry.
Breadfruit Research work
Much of the NWC applied research work on papaya was carried out under the ACIAR funded Fiji Papaya Project (FPP). The FPP was officially completed in July 2015 although much of the ongoing work and information dissemination has been institutionalized through the NWC Research and Extension Programme. Some hallmark successes of the Fiji Papaya Project include:
Establishment of a certified seed producer’s scheme for Fiji Red Papaya based on research findings which is now run as a commercial scheme managed by NWC with oversight from the Ministry of Agriculture.
Investment in a commercial hot water dipping treatment available to Fiji papaya exporters through NWC. This treatment was developed through four years of post harvest research led by NWC. The treatment is expected to overcome a major source of post- harvest loss currently being suffered by the industry. It has the potential to save the industry approximately $2 million annually.
Encouraged commercial investment at the farm and exporter level in organic papaya production based on research findings and economic analysis.
Development of technologies supporting sea freight of papaya from Fiji to New Zealand. Research findings indicate a 50% savings in freight with no reduction in fruit quality, NWC and exporters are making investments based on this research to make regular sea freight a part of the industry.
Eggplant Research work
Several eggplant varieties destined for export have periodically displayed symptoms of a disorder that cannot be fully explained. The symptoms of the disorder appear after the eggplant has undergone High Temperature Forced Air (HTFA) treatment at Nature’s Way Cooperative. The symptoms appear as a scorching on the fruit. Several confirmatory tests on the HTFA treatment have revealed that these symptoms occur when then machine is functionally normally. There is some variable, in some consignments of eggplant, that make the fruit less tolerant of the HTFA treatment. The postharvest losses as a result of this disorder have been significant over the years affecting the profitability of eggplant exports.
A Fiji Eggplant Disorder Research Taskforce has been convened to determine the cause of the disorder and identify some mitigating strategies. The taskforce consists of the Biosecurity Authority of Fiji (BAF), Ministry of Agriculture Research Division, Nature’s Way Cooperative and Secretariat of the Pacific Community Plant Health Division.
As the industry body, NWC has volunteered to assume the coordinating role for this taskforce and has an allocation of funds to support activities that cannot be funded through regular programme budgets.
NWC provides a small extension service to its farmer and exporter members working in close collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture. Some priority activities for the NWC Extension programme include:
- Expanding production of HTFA crops (papaya, breadfruit and eggplant) outside of the Sigatoka Valley.
- Value chain trainings
- Support to the NWC Certified Seed Scheme
- Support to the establishment of commercial breadfruit orchards.
- Support to expanded organic papaya production
- Post harvest disease monitoring – support to hot water treatment
- A standby advisory service for new and existing NWC members (farmers and exporters).
