Efforts are underway to address the threat facing kava production and export, primarily due to kava dieback disease exacerbated by deforestation. This viral disease, linked to the cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), has affected kava-growing areas across the Pacific.
In Fiji, the first documented cases of this issue date back to 1934 when large-scale kava cultivation occurred without adequate preventive measures. The Northern Division suffered significantly from kava dieback disease between 1998 and 2003, and again from 2021 to 2023. Research indicates that during these periods, the price of kava rose sharply due to increased export opportunities, leading farmers to engage in large-scale planting efforts. This surge in production resulted in significant deforestation and a transition from traditional mixed-cropping to intensive mono-cropping practices.
To combat kava dieback, local initiatives have intensified, including a recent four-day training focused on soil and plant health for farmers in the Northern Division. Conducted by soil scientist Rohit Lal from the Pacific Community, this workshop highlighted the significance of maintaining plant and soil health.
Lal noted that the incidence of kava dieback decreased between 2003 and 2007, likely due to learned lessons from past outbreaks, alongside a decline in export markets that saw kava prices drop from FJ$50 per kg in 2002 to FJ$20 per kg by 2004. Consequently, farmers reduced the size of their plantations, shifting from large-scale production to smaller patches consisting of around 1,000 plants.
Currently, rising kava prices have once again led to an increase in mass planting. However, Lal warned that expanding plantations without proper precautions could lead to a resurgence of kava dieback incidents. He emphasized the importance of prevention and advocated for traditional multi-cropping techniques within partially cleared forests, encouraging farmers to inter-plant kava with various other crops and grow it under a tree canopy.
Kava dieback disease can spread through infected node cuttings from affected stems, which may introduce the disease into nurseries or fields. Infected kava plants and surrounding weeds can exhibit a wide variety of symptoms, including leaf mosaic, yellowing, curling, and puckering of the youngest leaves.
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