Fijian farmers being forced to eel their produce at very low prices, the country's agriculture minister says. Photo: AFP
Fiji - farming
Minister for Agriculture Vatimi Rayalu says "middlemen" are using poor farmers to make large profits and the practice must stop.
Rayalu told fijivillage.com that farmers are forced to accept very low prices for their goods, because they are desperate.
He said they plant in all weathers, even when sick, and are forced to borrow money for fuel, fertilizer and food.
The same produce is sold in markets for up to three times more but farmers accept being underpaid to pay for living costs.
Rayalu is urging people to respect farmers and give them fair prices.
Samoa - death
A man has been crushed to death when the loader he was driving tipped over at a Samoa Water Authority site at the weekend.
The Samoa Observer reported the 28-year-old was an employee of Bluebird Construction and is thought to be from the fishing village of Matautu Falealiili.
The newspaper reported two men were on board when the loader started to tip, one jumped clear but the driver was trapped and the loader fell on him.
Palau - passports
Minister of State Gustav Aitaro says the country has begun early steps to replace traditional paper passports with electronic ones, or e-passports.
The Island Times reported the project is supported by a US$4.7 million grant from the government of Japan.
Aitaro said preliminary work has started, and the focus is on developing the legal framework and regulations before they move on to ordering the necessary machines to produce the e-passports.
The new e-passports are expected to be available sometime next year.
Papua New Guinea - gold
Papua New Guinea police are investigating an alleged attempt to smuggle homemade undeclared gold bars out of Port Moresby via Jackson International Airport.
The Post-Courier reported the gold bars were crudely made, weighing approximately 1 kilogram and would fetch about US$420,000.
The suspected smugglers, a couple from China, were caught by PNG Customs at the airport's departure lounge.
Customs chief commissioner David Towe said the PNG Customs Service is aware of potential smuggling through accompanied baggage.
However, he said the biggest challenge is that certain outbound areas, including the scanning facilities, are restricted to National Airports Corporation staff.
Papua New Guinea - fisheries
Another fish cannery is set to be built in Papua New Guinea with construction to start this year.
International Trade and Investment Minister Richard Maru said the cannery will be developed under a new joint venture company, which will be 50 per cent owned by the state and 50 per cent by RD Group.
He said Kumul Consolidated Holdings Limited will hold the state's shares on its behalf, and RD and Kumul which each provide around 80 million kina (approximately US$19.5 million) for the build.
Maru said the new cannery will be owned and operated by a new fishing company which will be called 'Kumul Fisheries Limited' under a joint venture between RD and Kumul Consolidated Holdings Limited.
"The building of this new cannery in Madang is the start of a deliberate attempt by our Government to invest in downstream processing so we can replace all canned fish imports from other countries," he said.
Fiji - SPC
The Pacific Community (SPC) is building a new facility in Fiji, supported by the governments of Fiji and Australia.
Officiating at the ground breaking last week, Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka stressed Fiji's commitment to Pacific-owned and led organisations like the SPC, given the significant role they play in serving the region.
He said it's encouraging to see regional bodies forge ahead, in the true spirit of Pacific resilience.
SPC's director general Stuart Minchin said the expansion is a symbol that the SPC is expected to grow, because the challenges the Pacific faces are so great.
Fiji is host to SPC's largest regional offices, with over 500 staff in Suva across various campuses.
