Nishi Trading

Nishi Trading said the idea of an ‘online shop’ could have benefits for its customers and have contracted a marketing consultant to investigate the feasibility of a service people would access online.

Project Manager Jenny Nishi said: “Due to Covid, we’ve had to revisit our marketing strategies and employ a marketing consultant to assess the risks of opening an online store in New Zealand versus going directly to a buyer.”

“An online store based in Tonga is not feasible due to the lack of banking facilities and infrastructure.”

The company in Tonga says the packaging and products were well received at New Zealand’s Fine Food Show in Auckland earlier this year in July.

Operating for over two decades, the family owned Tongan enterprise works with farmers to produce quality products for export.

Project manager Jenny Nishi said : “We purchase 65% of our raw material for Moringa Powder from seven different growers and 75% for Breadfruit Flour and Frozen Breadfruit from twenty growers”.

The investiture to honor His Majesty, King Tupou VI ten years of accession to the throne, was staged at the Royal Palace in Nuku’alofa.

He has been recognized for his contributions to Tonga.

Minoru, who is of Japanese lineage, said it was “a humbling experience for the family”.

“This is a reflection of the hard work and persistence that started with my father, Minoru Sr, and the support of farmers, family, friends and business associates throughout the years”.

The move follows several discussions as the business adjusts to operating in a COVID-19 environment where face-to-face meeting and physical visits to markets have been restricted.

Plans include a revamp of the existing website and the release of a general trade brochure to be used by registered growers, suppliers and customers.

The activity is funded by the Farmers’ Organizations for Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (FO4ACP) Programme, a joint partnership between the European Union, Africa Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) and Pacific Island Farmers Organisation Network (PIFON).

Managing Director, Minoru Nishi Jnr said soil samples were collected from farmers for testing and where a recommendations report was also made available to each farmer on nutrient requirements for each of their crop types.

“Follow up leaf tests was also carried out to determine any further nutrient deficiencies with immediate corrective actions.”

Minoru Nishi Jnr said 27 leaf tests were conducted for Nishi Trading’s registered growers. He said growers are now familiar with the process of collecting samples for testing and can now provide samples directly to Nishi Trading.

“Everyone is keen and are actively engaging with AgWorld, we’re sharing our experiences and its helping improve production and capacity,” says Minoru Nishi Jnr, the Managing Director of Nishi Trading.

In addition to mentoring and face-to-face meetings, the commercial export business is proposing an enterprise subscription for AgWorld following challenges currently affecting growers.

“We continue to support farmers trialing the software and the main constraint is the cost of subscription for individual farmers.”

This is after the country’s leading horticultural exporting company, Nishi Trading, signed a partnership with the Australia and New Zealand supported Pacific Horticultural and Agricultural Market Access (PHAMA) Plus Programme on Tuesday, 30 June to increase exports of horticulture produce from Tonga.

Nishi Trading is collaborating with PHAMA Plus to trial ways to improve productivity and yield of various varieties of cucurbits including squash, butterkin, grey pumpkin and watermelons.

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.

.  The response has been overwhelmingly good. 

Using your own local market for product development is important to see how people respond to the product” says Nishi’s Marketing Expert Joanna Bourke, Executive Creative Director of CocoNew The Agency.

“It’s been easy to sell the frozen taro to hotels and restaurants who say the product is easy and convenient to use,” Miss Bourke says .

Nishi wanted to get its products out there and started producing for the local market, promoting it via social media she says.