Press conference at Lami Kava, Fiji

Journalist:

Minister, can you tell us about efforts being made on the Australian Government’s part to increase kava exports to the Australian markets, and also personal kava quota?

Zed Seselja:

Yes, absolutely, there’s a few things. Through PHAMA, which is a joint initiative between the Australian and New Zealand Governments, we’re encouraging and supporting opportunities in trade and agriculture. When it comes to kava – which has supported some of these facilities here. When it comes to kava more specifically, we are seeing – we’ve already changed our personal importation rules from 2 to 4 kilos, and obviously that’s going to become very meaningful to people now as travel resumes between our two countries, when it comes to commercial production the pilot is due to start on December 1 for commercial importation of kava into Australia. And I know speaking to Donny they have markets in the Pacific, in the US and other places. But obviously Australia is potentially a key market. And so our Prime Minister has been very keen. This is something that was raised with him a number of years ago and he committed to moving down this path. I think things were slowed down a little bit due to Covid, but we’re very hopeful that, come December, we will see that pilot getting off the ground.

Journalist:

What’s keeping you from going forward? What else do we need to do as a Fiji export market to get it to your market?

Zed Seselja:

I think the Department of Health is just finalising the regulatory regime. So that pilot will go ahead from December 1. People will then be able to apply for importation licences and all of the rules will be contained in the regulations. So just as we do whenever there is any regulatory regime, there’s always consultation. There has been concerns in the past raised around kava in Indigenous communities in Australia, and that was one of the concerns a number of years ago, the Department of Health is work through those issues.

Journalist:

Minister, there was a suggestion by the Mayor of Bundaberg, I think, that we be some cultivation in Australia. I was just wondering what your position was.

Zed Seselja:

Yeah, look, that’s not on the agenda at the moment. I mean obviously that’s going to be – fundamentally those things are a matter for either state governments or the Department of Agriculture. But that’s certainly not on my radar at the moment. What we’re talking about is looking at – and this is really a response to not just the industry here but it’s also a response to our Pacific diaspora in Australia who are very keen – this is obviously very important to them culturally. And so they’re keen to see importation. But beyond that there are no other government plans.

Journalist:

Do you have a personal view on that, though?

Zed Seselja:

Look, I’d take some convincing. But it wouldn’t be my decision.

Journalist:

Will you allow me to have a look at the plan for the exportation of kava into Australia. There were some suggestions by all of the [indistinct] based on receiving a lot of black market kava, a lot of black market kava is still in Australia. What is being done to make sure those things are now going to end now that the exportation is being trialled.

Zed Seselja:

Yeah, look, our authorities deal with, I guess, illicit trade in either legal goods or illegal goods regularly. And we know that in other areas, for instance, tobacco, the illegal tobacco trade has been a big problem. We know that the AFP and Border Force spend a lot of time and resources on it. Kava, I don’t think it’s been as widespread to my knowledge, but obviously where there is that black market trade or illicit trade we want to make sure that it is cracked down on because we’ve got legitimate commercial operators who go through all the proper regulatory processes. Obviously we know that there are – there’s personal validity to import, but that’s in relatively small quantities.

Journalist:

Minister, what about the other kava markets from the other Pacific countries? Can you tell us about some of the work that your government is doing to make it possible for them to export?

Zed Seselja:

Yeah, look, that’s one I might have to take on notice in terms of some specific aspects under PHAMA or others. But when it comes to the issue of kava it is about the Pacific in general. And obviously Fiji being particularly important. But we know that other countries produce kava in the region. What our goal is, is to make sure that obviously – there’s two aspects. When we talk about our support under Farmer it’s about supporting industries in the region as part of our relationships with those – with these countries. But at the same time when it comes to importation it’s not about particularly where it’s come from – it could come from all over the Pacific – it is about our communities in Australia being able to have access to what is obviously traditionally very important to them.

Journalist:

Can you tell us about progress of bilateral quarantine arrangements between Fiji and the Australian Government with regards to kava? How fast are we going on that?

Zed Seselja:

In terms of – I don’t think when we look at quarantine it’s specifically around kava. It is – I’ve had some issues – I think we discussed this recently – where I’ve had some issues raised around some of the quarantine. There’s a whole range of measures in place to ensure biosecurity, and biosecurity is very important in Australia. And I know there’s a number of schemes, and I think in Suva we know that there are schemes to make sure that there are proper hygiene for shipping containers and the like to make sure. So as long as those standards are met then I think trade continues to be smooth, but those issues were raised with me by a couple of High Commissioners, and we’re in the process of just working through those issues.

Journalist:

Donny, can you talk about how useful this wash facility will be in terms of your output, speaking specifically to quality and content and volume?

Donny Yee, Managing Director, Lami Kava:

It’s improved quality. That’s for one. We’re also increasing the number of farmers that we buy from. So the facility has actually done us a great thing. Having that facility, we could buy probably almost twice as much as we used to. So that’s good for the farmers and good for us.

[ENDS]