The Minister for Multi-Ethnic Affairs, Culture, Heritage, Arts and Public Enterprises, Hon. Charan Jeath Singh met the Board of Directors of Fiji Coconut Millers Pte Limited (FCML), emphasising Government’s expectation for the company to strengthen its commercial performance and long-term profitability.
Minister Singh commended FCML for its recent achievements, including diversification into value-added products such as scented oils and soaps, fostering community engagement to support coconut farmers in Macuata, Bua, Cakaudrove, Lau and Lomaiviti, and building strong relationships with customers, suppliers and key stakeholders to expand farmer participation.
However, the Minister underlined that sustainability and financial discipline must remain the central focus.
“As I have consistently stated across our public enterprises, sustainability must be the priority. While Government support is provided to stabilize and strengthen strategic entities, our long-term objective is to build commercially viable, self-sustaining organisations that progressively reduce reliance on Government grants,” Hon. Singh said.
He stated that Government investments are intended to position FCML not merely to sustain operations, but to grow, innovate and contribute more robustly to the national economy as a profit-making entity.
The Minister encouraged FCML to pursue further diversification through value addition, improved operational efficiency, expansion into new markets and stronger commercial discipline. He also highlighted the importance of strengthening local by-product utilisation to support the circular economy, modernising digital systems in farming and milling, developing crisis-trigger pricing mechanisms, and exploring export market opportunities.
“Government fully expects FCML to continue evolving as a leading manufacturer of coconut products, balancing commercial performance with strong social and development impacts,” he stated.
Minister Singh reaffirmed Government’s commitment to supporting FCML as a cornerstone institution within Fiji’s coconut industry, noting that the company’s success directly strengthens farmer confidence and stabilises rural incomes.