Efforts are underway to mitigate the risks facing kava production and export due to kava dieback disease. This disease, exacerbated by deforestation, has prompted a reevaluation of large kava farms. The cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), responsible for the dieback, has impacted kava-growing regions across the Pacific.
In Fiji, the disease was first identified in 1934 during extensive cultivation practices lacking necessary precautions. Research indicates that the Northern Division suffered severely from kava dieback between 1998 and 2003 and again from 2021 to 2023. During these periods, a surge in kava prices, attributed to new export opportunities, encouraged farmers to expand their plantations rapidly.
This expansion involved significant deforestation, marking a shift from traditional mixed-cropping techniques to intensive mono-cropping systems.
To combat these challenges, local initiatives have intensified, including a four-day workshop focused on soil and plant health led by Pacific Community’s soil scientist, Rohit Lal, at Friendly North Inn in Labasa. This training aimed to educate Northern Division farmers on the significance of maintaining healthy plants and soil.
Mr. Lal noted that between 2003 and 2007, kava dieback cases decreased, likely due to lessons learned from earlier outbreaks, combined with the closure of export markets that led to a drop in kava prices from FJ$50 per kilogram in 2002 to FJ$20 per kilogram in 2004. Consequently, farmers reduced their operations, shifting from large plantations to smaller plots with around 1,000 plants each.
The recent rise in kava prices has led to another wave of mass planting, which Mr. Lal cautioned could increase dieback cases if large-scale farming continues without adequate safeguards. He emphasized the importance of preventing the spread of the disease by adopting traditional multi-cropping systems in partially cleared forests, inter-planting kava with various crops under a tree canopy.
Symptoms of kava dieback can be introduced into nurseries or fields through infected node cuttings. Infected kava plants and weeds may exhibit a variety of symptoms, typically starting with leaf mosaic, yellowing, curling, and puckering of the youngest leaves.
Leave a comment