Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources Faiyaz Koya says agriculture is the commercially untapped jewel of Fiji as the sector is brimming with opportunities. Koya says that in Fiji there are acres of arable land that can either be used for commercial agro-farming or organic farming in niche markets. The Minister says the prospects are enormous and the latest sectoral investment data suggests that a number of foreign have realized this and are seizing the opportunity. He adds the government has a vision to harness Fiji’s potential in the area of organic farming given Fiji’s environment, ideal climate and fertile volcanic soil.

Mozambique annually loses the equivalent of US$57 million due to illegal fishing and other harmful practices, in the absence of effective maritime surveillance along nearly 2,800 kilometres of coastline, said the director of Operations of the Ministry of the Sea, Interior Waters and Fisheries. Leonid Chimarizene also told weekly newspaper Domingo that Mozambique differs from most coastal countries because it allows ships to moor at any port, “which means that we must have inspectors all along the coast.”

Vanuatu hosted its first ever Agritourism Festival from 9-11th November at the Agriculture Complex- Tagabe, in the capital city of Port Vila. Agriculture and food production are critical to Vanuatu’s prosperity and welfare: for food security and job creation. Given that animal, vegetable and other food products equate to over 82% of the island’s economy, Vanuatu boasts rich agricultural resources. Yet, the country is still heavily reliant on imports, which in 2011 amounted to over 280 million USD (more than four times the amount of exports). Vanuatu, like many other Pacific Island nations, relies on cheap, calorific and low nutritional food imports from the USA and Australasia.

The sugar industry is widely recognised as making a significant socio-economic contribution to many African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States, particularly in generating export earnings and creating employment in rural areas. Nevertheless, it is important to note that many ACP countries have been diversifying to reduce their reliance on the sugar industry. This means that, in some countries, sugar is not as important as it was in the past. The ACP sugar group is diverse. It includes some of the world’s lowest cost sugar producers where production has been growing over time (Malawi, Swaziland, Zambia).

The African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Sugar Group says it welcomes the new study on the sugar industry undertaken by the European Union. The “Study on Current and Forecast Market Developments for ACP Sugar Suppliers to the EU Market” sets out a comprehensive assessment of the risks for ACP/EBA sugar producers as a result of changes to the EU sugar regime and it contains a series of helpful tips. The study was undertaken by United Kingdom-based Cardno/LMC International and funded by the European Union. Chairman of the ACP Sugar Group, Samuel Chandler, who is also the Barbados Ambassador to the EU, said the ACP will actively pursue the implementation of the recommendations.

Technicians from the Technological Centre of Marine Affairs (Cetmar) are travelling to Mozambique to train staff from scientific institutes in cephalopod stock assessment and in sampling for mollusk farming. Contributing to the fight against poverty and living condition boost and food security in rural and coastal communities in the province of Cabo Delgado is the general objective of the actions being carried out by Cetmar Foundation in Mozambique together with the National Institute of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development (IDEPA) and of the National Institute of Fisheries Research (IIP).

The Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development, Sherry Ayittey, has requested the private sector participation in developing aquaculture, after highlighting the viability of the business venture. Speaking at the 32nd National Farmers’ Day celebrations at Kintampo, the minister appealed private sector actors to support the development of aquaculture along its value chain, especially in the areas of financing and technical assistance. In addition, the official stressed the fact that the Ministry has created an enabling environment for the private sector to leverage on to help boost aquaculture in the country, GhanaWeb reported.

The European Investment Bank (EIB), the bank of the European Union, has signed a EUR 7,5 million (N$113,5 million) credit facility with Trustco Group Holdings Limited to finance small businesses and entrepreneurs in Namibia. At a ceremony held yesterday at Trustco's headquarters, the EIB, Europe's long-term lending institution, signed the agreement with Trustco Group Holdings Limited. “The European Investment Bank has a strong track record in supporting crucial investment programmes across Africa and around the world,” said Pim van Ballekom, European Investment Bank vice president.

According to South African table grape producers and exporters, one of the biggest breakthroughs since deregulation in agriculture has just been confirmed by the South African Table Grape Industry (SATI) and the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF). The producer organisation SATI is delighted that China changed the cold treatment protocol of South African table grapes to a more fruit friendly protocol. This creates a market opportunity to increase table grape exports from South Africa to China to about R2,5 billion over the next five years. DAFF has just confirmed that China’s cold treatment protocol is immediately effective from the 2016/2017 season.

China Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Association (CIQA) and Fruit South Africa (FruitSA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to broaden co-operative mechanisms for fruit trade. The MoU will allow South Africa and China to exchange information on quarantine and inspection, regulatory matters, market access, market development, technologies and other related issues, according to All Africa (South Africa). With China currently a major importer of South Africa’s citrus fruits to Asia, the MoU will also cover.