The large number of Ni-Vanuatu workers recruited for seasonal jobs abroad have reduced the local workforce available for kava cultivation. Photo: Eric Lafforgue / Hans Lucas / Hans Lucas via AFP
Vanuatu's caretaker Foreign Minister Matai Seremaiah says regional labour mobility schemes are impacting the local kava industry.
Seremaiah said the large number of Ni-Vanuatu workers recruited for seasonal jobs abroad has reduced the local workforce available for kava cultivation.
"People, as farmers, need to know that there is a market so they can plant," he was quoted as saying.
"But for planting to continue, we also need labour. If we continue to export labour overseas, it will bring another great challenge for kava production by local farmers."
According to one analysis, Vanuatu, along with Samoa and Tonga, is a leading provider of labour under New Zealand's Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) work policy.
A total of 16,250 individuals from Vanuatu have participated in the RSE scheme between 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2022.
Vanuatu is also one of the biggest labour-sending country under Australia's Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme, having sent over 6200 workers between June 2019 to May 2024.
Vanuatu Daily Post reports exporters have also expressed concerns about insufficient supply, saying demand for kava has reached record levels in 2024.
Panel discussions at a recent Kava Festival raised the question of whether the government should reconsider its position on foreign involvement in light of these challenges.
A policy currently prevents foreign investors from entering the kava sector to protect local farmers.
-Vanuatu Daily Post