Linking Tahitian Lime farmers to Vanuatu’s export market

A team of representatives from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD), Dynamic Vanuatu and Biosecurity Vanuatu visited two plots of about 100 Tahitian lime (TL) plants at Paunangisu village, Efate recently.

The field trip was an assessment of the farmers’ production capacity and their compliance to Biosecurity export requirement in order to supply TL export market in New Zealand (NZ) secured by Dynamic Vanuatu.

The plots visited were well maintained in terms of lawn management as per Biosecurity expectation. 

Biosecurity authorities advised the farmers to clear old fruits lying on the ground as the limes could attract pests and diseases to the plots. 

The plants are continuously producing Tahitian Limes fruits at different stages of development and there is potential to select fruits that can meet Dynamic's market requirement, any time now. 

The Coordinator of Project Local, Dynamic Vanuatu, Jennifer Bowtell, expressed satisfaction and willingness to work with the TL farmers to help familiarize themselves with the market standard.

Bowtell has requested the Assistant Agriculture Officer (AAO) for North Efate, Keith Amos, to negotiate with the farmers in his area to be informed of the development activities that are emerging in the NZ TL market so that they may contribute to the trial TL export which Dynamic is looking forward to send to shortly.

Dynamic also informed farmers that chances are high that this market will work out well and other TL farmers need to support each other by way of contributing to the consistency of TL supply when transactions start rolling - not to mention the income benefit for the TL farmers. 

However, it is important to understand that because of factors that are active in big open markets such as in New Zealand, Dynamic stressed that their purchase price is likely to change on a monthly basis and not remain the same, as is the case for many crop produces in Vanuatu local market.  

TL farmers usually sell their produce at VT200 - VT250 per kilo in the local market. 

 

Photo supplied Caption: Tahitian lime tree at Paunangisu

 

     

Author: 
Tensly Sumbe