The Cook Islands Government plans to seek permission to export three locally grown products to New Zealand. They are the Tahitian Lime, the Poblano Chili (bell shaped) and the Breadfruit. If permission is granted, it would bring to 12 the number of products we can export to NZ.
Secretary for Agriculture Anthony Brown iadvised that Government is to register a National Request for market access with NZ’s Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (NZMAF) Biosecurity.
He said NZMAF must carry out a Risk Assessment Analysis for Market Access and that there is an 18 month time frame and the process will cost at least $200,000.
Government will call on technical assistance from the SPC and FAO to prepare reports covering such items as pests, diseases, crop information, harvesting, marketing, and environment. to form the basis to assist NZMAF with their assessment.
On Rarotonga Sir Terepai Maoate has three plots of lime trees and something like 800 trees. He is pleased with the proposals for Tahitian Lime and Poblano Chili.
His trees have already started fruiting. About ten years ago he introduced some 200 lime trees on Mauke and estimates that after foraging by wild pigs, some 130 trees still remain.
Brown was asked about the status of the two studies which were carried out last year in June by Technical Advisors in respect of seeking NZ market access for Pacific Cabbage (Rukau viti) and Pacific plum (Vi kavakava).
The resulting reports were issued in August 2009 by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) based in Samoa and proposed that the Cook Islands may benefit from the commercial planting and export of the Pacific Cabbage ( Raukau viti )and the Pacific Plum ( Vi kava kava). However he advised that Government no longer plans to follow through on these reports.
While Fiji has established a ready market in NZ, Australia, Canada, Hawaii and the USA mainland for the highly nutritious and fast growing Pacific cabbage (Bele), and the export potential for the Cook Islands is regarded as promising, the cabbage is not popular among Cook Islanders.
Although the opportunity exists for the Cook Islands to piggy back on Fiji’s penetration of the NZ market, Brown says breadfruit is considered a better alternative. The proposal is to seek access for cooked Breadfruit.
Vikavakava is grown on local private properties with no commercial plantings. The trees bear fruit after five years and, according to the FAO report, there are very good fresh market potentials in New Zealand for the fruit, especially through existing Pacific market outlets and also through the weekend flea markets such as in Otara, and Mangere.
There were very positive responses from the Island Importers in New Zealand due to its off season nature, as it matures during the time when there are no fruits such as breadfruits, avocado, mangoes etc., thus enabling the heat treatment facilities to operate all year round, and for Pacific Islanders in New Zealand to buy and eat one of their favorite fruits.