The Australian High Commissioner to Tonga, Adrian Morrison, visited Nishi Trading this week to mark a new partnership under Australia’s Business Partnership Platform (BPP).
The BPP is the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s (DFAT) principal programme contributing directly to accelerating Australia’s collaboration with businesses to address development challenges in the Pacific region.
Nishi Trading and DFAT are working together to increase the productivity of existing root crop exports. Australia is assisting Nishi Trading to build a cool storage facility, benefiting farmers through decreased product waste and increased income.
The partnership will assist Tonga in improving farm-to-market logistics for the export of root crops.
Nishi Trading will also lease land to female smallholder farmers who will be supported through the Farmer Field School programme, their joint initiative with MORDI Tonga Trust, focusing on agricultural value chains and nutrition. The University of the South Pacific is providing monitoring and evaluation support.
Nishi Trading manager, Minoru Nishi, said, “This partnership will help the sector in terms of export. This project is one that Tonga greatly needs so thank you Australia for the support in this crucial development area.”
This is the third round of the BPP, linking Australia’s aid investments with the private sector to deliver economic growth and improved livelihoods in partner developing countries. Australia continues to step-up its development commitments in the Pacific region.
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