Fiji products affect Vanuatu poultry business

A Vanuatu poultry business has shut down as a result of the impact of cheaper eggs and chickens from Fiji.

The poultry business owner, Joe Bong, said they had to cease operations because they could not compete with the Fiji products.

The Vanuatu Minister of Trade, Sato Kilman, said the government is investigating claims that Fiji is dumping eggs on the Vanuatu market.

Bong said that it is not only eggs but also Fijian chickens, which are now on sale in Vanuatu under the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) free trade agreement, which are causing problems.

Bong said it is his understanding that the two main poultry firms in Fiji are Australian owned and local farmers want assurances the MSG free trade agreement is for the benefit of the Melanesians and not Australian investors in Fiji.

He said Australian investors are already benefiting from the cheap labour in Fiji, and they should not be able to export under the free trade deal.