FMI-Yaqara board merge proposed

Fiji's Standing Committee on Public Accounts has proposed merging the Fiji Meat Industry Board (FMIB) and the Yaqara pastoral company to address concerns about livestock supply consistency. The committee believes combining the two entities could create a more stable supply chain and enhance overall efficiency.

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What are the thoughts of making two boards under one, so that supply demand chain is always maintained, because there has been talks for past couple of years that we need to bring these two entities under one banner

Committee member Alvick Maharaj questioned the feasibility of merging the boards, emphasizing the need for a maintained supply-demand chain. "What are the thoughts of making two boards under one, so that supply demand chain is always maintained, because there has been talks for past couple of years that we need to bring these two entities under one banner," he stated.

Sachida Nand, another committee member, explored the potential benefits of vertical integration. Currently, Yaqara supplies livestock to FMIB for slaughter but cannot slaughter or sell directly to consumers due to legislative restrictions. "Yaqara traditionally supplies the livestock to FMIB for slaughtering, they don’t slaughter their own, but there are some of the activities that are prescribed by the legislation that Yaqara can do, you can’t, you can’t operate a butcher, Yaqara can’t operate a butcher, Yaqara can’t slaughter, you can slaughter, you can value it, but you cannot sell to the end consumer," Nand explained.

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Yaqara traditionally supplies the livestock to FMIB for slaughtering, they don’t slaughter their own, but there are some of the activities that are prescribed by the legislation that Yaqara can do, you can’t, you can’t operate a butcher, Yaqara can’t operate a butcher, Yaqara can’t slaughter, you can slaughter, you can value it, but you cannot sell to the end consumer.

Fiji Meat Industry Chief Executive Apenisa Rokodaru acknowledged that vertical integration could improve operations. However, he noted that current legislation presents significant barriers. "We’re currently reviewing our legislations, which puts a lot of restrictions on this. So, probably it’s something that we can also consider when the review of the Act for FMIB to actually open up those opportunities and definitely on the integration between the two entities," Rokodaru said. Nand added that such a merger could lead to cost reductions and increased profitability for both organizations.

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We’re currently reviewing our legislations, which puts a lot of restrictions on this. So, probably it’s something that we can also consider when the review of the Act for FMIB to actually open up those opportunities and definitely on the integration between the two entities.