Trainings
Join us for an insightful webinar on “Villages to Net Zero: Solar Solutions for Climate Action in Rural Asia and the Pacific”, as part of the CIRDAP Knowledge Series 60.
This webinar is jointly organized by Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP) in Bangladesh and the Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF) in Fiji.
Director General of the International Solar Alliance (ISA), Mr. Ashish Khanna, will be the distinguished speaker for this webinar
The Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP), together with the Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF) has collaborated on an International Online Training Programme on Artificial Intelligence for Rural Development: Transforming Technology into Reality for Rural Welfare,” which is scheduled to take place from August 18 – 20, 2026.
The three day online training is free and will cover the following themes:-
- Foundations of AI for Rural Development
- Data readiness, Governance & Predictive Planning
- Agriculture, Climate & Natural Resource Management
- AL in Rural Healthcare, Education & Programme Delivery
- From planning to Execution – Integrated AI workflows
- Responsible AI, Community Engagement & Capstone
The training programme will be directed by the Programme Officer—Learning, CIRDAP, Dr Venkatamallu Thadaboina from Dhaka, Bangladesh and Dr Sushant Kumar Singh, the Founding Director, CAIES Foundation, Patna, India.
*For queries or support, please contact Dr Venkatamallu Thadaboina, Programme Officer (Learning), CIRDAP, Dhaka, at Email: po_learning@cirdap.org or Phone: +91-9866681774 (WhatsApp).
News/Events
SABETO, NADI. It was a historical moment for more than 10,000 contracted farmers across Sigatoka to Rakiraki, who are now poised to benefit from new export opportunities in the Northern Pacific after the Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the New Valley Processors (Fiji) Limited (NVPL).
The partnership with NVPL marks a key step in connecting local farmers to the export market and expanding their economic potential through the Food and Nutrition Security initiative that is headed by the PIDF.
The Food and Nutrition Security initiative echoed the sustainable development goal 2 and 3, which looked at addressing food security, cultivation and production, and access to fresh produce through consistent supply and commitment to uphold zero hunger.
His Excellency, the High Commissioner of Naoero to Fiji, and Chairperson of the Pacific Island Development Forum- High Commissioner, Michael Aroi was the chief guest at the MOU signing ceremony at Sabeto, Nadi.
Mr Aroi shared how beneficial the partnership would be not only to farmers but also families back in Naoero.
“Fiji has rich and fertile land that can grow vegetables and crops that can be exported to the Northern Pacific such as Naoero where we heavily depend on imported goods,” Mr Aroi said.
“Through this partnership, families in Naoero would be able to consume fresh agricultural produce from Fiji, contributing towards the fight against NCD and growing a healthier society.”
The PIDF Secretary General Arpana Pratap shared that this partnership with NVPL would encourage local farmers to diversify and improve the quality of their crops and vegetables to meet local and export market.
She said that local farmers have so many untapped potentials but may lack market access.
“This is the area that the PIDF will strengthen and will bridge the gap through this partnership with NVPL by engaging more with these farmers, visiting their farms, as well as sharing resources to support the programs focused on high value crops that will be processed for export markets,” Ms. Pratap said.
“We will also identify and secure buyers in the Northern Pacific markets and negotiate commercial agreements with importers, distributors, wholesalers, and retailers so our local farmers are able to make good economic benefits from exporting their produce.
“Beyond economic gains, this partnership contributes to regional food security by ensuring that fresh and nutritious produce is supplied to Pacific Island countries that often depend heavily on imported foods.”
Under the Food and Nutrition Security initiative, the PIDF has been coordinating the export of agricultural produce from Nadi, Fiji to countries in the Northern Pacific such as the Republic of Naoero and will expand soon to the Republic of Marshall Islands, Federal States of Micronesia and the Republic of Palau, through the Pacific Fresh Airlink project.
The Pacific Fresh Airlink project was setup to support the export of fresh agricultural produce from Fijian farmers to regional markets, creating new economic opportunities for local producers while improving access to fresh and nutritious food in Pacific communities.
A key component of the initiative is its direct support for farmers in Fiji, particularly those in the Tailevu and Ra provinces as this project assists farmers in improving the quality, consistency, and market readiness of their produce through enhanced agricultural practices, post-harvest handling, and supply chain coordination.
These benefits are expected to expand further through the partnership with NVPL, a newly established agriculture – processing and export company based in Sabeto, Nadi.
Chief executive officer Navitalai Tuivuniwai said NVPL currently purchases agricultural produce such as bora (yard long bean), chilies, eggplants, cucumbers, tomatoes, cowpeas, and several high value crops that have the potential to meet the local and export market in the Northern Pacific.
“We see the economic benefits the local farmers will gain through this partnership, as they export their produce to the Northern Pacific market,” Mr Tuivuniwai said.
“New Valley extends our deepest thanks to the PIDF and the Naoero Government for giving our farmers in hard-to-reach places a consistent, sustainable market. We are so grateful for the hard work negotiating this deal. This incredible support from our region ensures our farmers can finally smile, knowing their produce will always have a buyer.
“We have always encouraged our farmers to maintain consistency in the quality of their produce to ensure that it meets the export requirements and are of good quality for consumption.
“We have always relied on trust amongst our farmers to produce quality produce and they have been doing well in this area. Through this partnership, we are excited to have PIDF on board in connecting our local farmers to the Northern Pacific market.”
Through this partnership between the PIDF and NVPL, local farmers can become key contributors to food security, economic growth, and sustainable agricultural development across Fiji and the Pacific.
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Senior Government officials, institutional leaders, project partners, stakeholders, and heads of the Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF) Member Countries gathered in a special Talanoa session hosted by the PIDF.
The PIDF’s Pacific Fresh AirLink (PFAL) Initiative seeks to promote trade, strengthen food security, and enhance socio-economic resilience across the North Pacific through improved air connectivity for fresh produce.
Following the historic signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the PIDF and New Valley Processors (Fiji) Pte Limited, this milestone event further advanced collaborative efforts towards the growth of the PFAL Initiative.
The gathering provided a valuable platform for leaders and stakeholders to connect, exchange experiences, engage in forward-looking discussions, and explore pathways to strengthen and sustainably expand the PFAL Initiative, reinforcing collective efforts to enhance regional food security and resilience across the Pacific
Among the distinguished guests who joined the Talanoa session was the Honourable Sakiasi Ditoka, Fiji’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade.
The Minister acknowledged the valuable work of the PIDF and expressed strong support for the PFAL project, highlighting its potential to play a significant role in advancing food security and resilience across Fiji and the wider Pacific region.
The Talanoa session was designed to surface practical commitments — the bilateral relations, routes and financing that will let PFAL grow into a wider Pacific initiative.
The strong participation and active contributions from attendees demonstrated a clear commitment to advancing the objectives and work of PFAL.
Throughout the Talanoa session, stakeholders openly shared the challenges faced in the areas of trade, export market, market access, supply chain etc. These challenges demonstrated to the PIDF that there is a strong need for coordinated action, strengthened partnerships, and innovative solutions to serve the wider Pacific community.
Following the Talanoa session, the PIDF is confident in the support and show of commitment from stakeholders, project partners and the Governments of the PIDF Member Countries for their support towards the PFAL project.
The PIDF extends its sincere appreciation to all the senior government officials, representatives of Member countries, institutional leaders, project partners, stakeholders, and development partners, that attended the Talanoa session.
The PIDF looks forward to maintaining this momentum and working closely with all partners to transform the ideas and commitments shared during the Talanoa session into meaningful action that benefits Fiji and the Pacific.
SABETO, NADI. A major milestone was achieved last night as the first pilot consignment of Fijian grown agricultural produce was exported to the Republic of Naoero under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) partnership between the Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF) and New Valley Processors (Fiji) Limited (NVPL), which was signed on July 23, 2026.
The first pilot consignment comprised of 54 boxes of export-quality fruits, vegetables and root crops grown and harvested by Fijian farmers across Viti Levu.
The produce included eggplants, long beans, telegraph cucumbers, English cabbage, cassava, watermelons, pineapples, tomatoes, taro leaves, taro, papayas, bananas, kumquats and lemons.
The PIDF Secretary General, Ms. Arpana Pratap, was pleased with the quality of the produce and thanked New Valley for coordinating with the farmers to meet the first pilot consignment.
“The export of Fijian grown agriculture produce to the Pacific neighbors, such as the Republic of Naoero, demonstrates that Fiji’s agriculture sector has the potential to expand beyond the local market,” Ms Pratap said.
“Fiji has fertile land, favorable climatic conditions and hardworking farmers that can till the land, grow vegetables and crops that has a demand in the Northern Pacific market.
“While we encountered some challenges in preparing this first pilot consignment, we successfully worked through them. This achievement would not have been possible without the support of our project partners, including NVPL, Nauru Airlines and the dedicated farmers.
The exporting of agriculture produce from Nadi, Fiji to countries in the Northern Pacific such as the Republic of Naoero, is part of the Pacific Fresh AirLink (PFAL) initiative under the Food and Nutrition Security project that is coordinated by the PIDF.
The PFAL initiative was setup to support the export of fresh agricultural produce from Fijian farmers to regional markets, creating new economic opportunities for local producers while improving access to fresh and nutritious food in Pacific communities.
NVPL Chief Executive Officer, Navitalai Tuivuniwai said they visited the farmers across Viti Levu to ensure that the quality and quantity were met with the export market.
“This first pilot consignment involved a lot of planning, discussions and meeting the farmers as well to ensure that we are able to meet the deadline for the flight,” Mr Tuivuniwai said.
“I am pleased that we were able to do so and we will continue to work with the PIDF to export more to the Northern Pacific because at the end of the day, our goal is to support and improve the economic livelihood of our farmers.”
“At New Valley, we supply seedlings to our cluster of farmers, which helps to scale the commercial production and processing of high-value crops and creating market opportunities for our growers.”
A Biosecurity Authority of Fiji official was also on site to conduct the necessary inspections before the loading of the consignment onto the Nauru Airlines flight that departed Nadi Airport last night and has since arrived in Naoero.
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