1.8Export capability
Southern Australia potentially offers a sizeable market for Fiji ginger (McGregor 2003). In Australia there is an estimated market for around 300 to 400 tonnes of ginger sourced from Pacific Island countries (McGregor 2007).
1.8.1Production statistics
Ginger production in Fiji has fluctuated over time, but in recent years has been affected by the loss of export markets as a result of increased international competition (McGregor 2003), declining profits for growers (Singh 2010) and diseases caused by soil-borne pathogens (Raicola 2010). Available data on production volume does not reveal differences between immature ginger harvested for processing and mature ginger. Figures from the Agriculture Ministry published in the
Fiji Times (13 August 2008) indicate that production of mature ginger increased by 31.9 percent between 2006 and 2007, with a corresponding rise in exports of 2.2 percent. However, this was followed by a big decline in production in 2008 (FAO 2011c). Table 3.1 shows production data for the last six years for which data is available.
Table 3.1: Ginger production in Fiji (FAO 2011c)
-
Year
|
2004
|
2005
|
2006
|
2007
|
2008
|
2009
|
Tonnes (t)
|
3770
|
3652
|
3209
|
3111
|
2448
|
3041
|
1.8.2Export statistics
Fiji exports fresh ginger to the United States and New Zealand (McGregor 2007). Export figures for the last five years for which data is available are shown in Table 3.2. The USA imported 17 475 kg of fresh ginger from Fiji in 2007, and a further 103 357 kg of preserved ginger and 701.4 kg of ground ginger (Morita 2008).
Table 3.2: Ginger exports from Fiji (FAO 2011c)
-
Year
|
Tonnes (t)
|
Value ($Int)
|
Unit value ($/tonne)
|
2004
|
1414
|
3 980 000
|
2815
|
2005
|
1395
|
3 898 000
|
2794
|
2006
|
1187
|
3 283 000
|
2766
|
2007
|
1263
|
3 474 000
|
2751
|
2008
|
1395
|
3 671 000
|
2632
|
Quarantine pests associated with the fresh ginger from Fiji are identified in Appendix A. This chapter assesses the probability of the entry, establishment and spread of these pests and their likely potential economic, including environmental, consequences.
Pest categorisation identified eight quarantine pests associated with fresh ginger from Fiji. Table 4.1 identifies these quarantine pests and full details of the pest categorisation are provided in Appendix A. Pests are listed according to their taxonomic classification, consistent with Appendix A.
Table 4.1 Quarantine pests for fresh ginger from Fiji
Pest
|
Common name
|
Arthropods
|
|
Elytroteinus subtruncatus
|
Fiji ginger weevil
|
Aspidiella hartii
|
Yam scale
|
Nematodes
|
|
Discocriconemella discolabia
|
Ring nematodes
|
Mesocriconema denoudeni
|
Helicotylenchus egyptiensis
|
Spiral nematodes
|
Helicotylenchus indicus
|
Helicotylenchus mucronatus
|
Sphaeronema sp.
|
Cystoid nematode
|
The estimated likelihoods and consequences of entry, establishment and spread for quarantine pests are presented in this section. The results of these estimates are summarised in Table 4.2, together with the overall unrestricted risk estimates. The rationale for each value of the pest risk assessment, summarised in this table, is described in the relevant sections below.