A new partnership between the Fiji Australia Business Council and the Market Development Facility is accelerating export readiness support for Fiji’s agri-food businesses, with a strong focus on improving commercial capability and access to the Australian market.
The Fiji Times reported that the initiative is designed to strengthen the pipeline of Fiji exporters by helping firms meet market requirements and establish buyer relationships. The partnership highlights an important shift in trade support approaches, from broad promotional campaigns to targeted enterprise development and compliance readiness.
For Fiji’s agri-food sector, export growth remains constrained by scale, logistics, and quality assurance. Many promising products struggle to move from local retail success to export performance because of regulatory requirements, packaging standards, and consistent supply capacity. The new programme aims to close this gap by supporting businesses through practical readiness steps.
Australia is a high-value market, but also a demanding one. Exporters must meet strict food safety and labelling rules, and demonstrate consistent quality. For Fiji, a successful export pathway requires strong internal systems, reliable production processes, and the ability to meet delivery schedules.
The programme is expected to provide mentoring and structured support across business planning, product development, packaging, certification, and market engagement. For many SMEs, this type of support can be more valuable than funding alone, because it improves bankability and long-term commercial resilience.
The partnership also reinforces the role of business councils as facilitators of practical trade outcomes. By linking enterprises with development-backed capability support, councils can help businesses move beyond networking into measurable export growth.
Agri-food exports also offer wider economic benefits. They can strengthen rural incomes, create employment in processing and logistics, and diversify Fiji’s economy. Export-ready SMEs can also become suppliers into tourism and hospitality supply chains, strengthening local value retention.
With Fiji’s economy seeking steady growth and greater resilience, the strengthening of agri-food exports remains one of the most credible pathways for long-term private sector expansion.
