22 Mar 2010

Cheap Fiji eggs under investigation by Vanuatu officials

7:21 pm on 22 March 2010

Investigations are continuing into allegations Fiji has been dumping eggs onto the Vanuatu market.

The Department of Industries and Trade in Vanuatu has been looking into complaints by local producers that Fiji eggs are being sold at much lower prices than Vanuatu's.

The head of its Industry and Export Development Unit, Jimmy Rantes says a dozen Fiji eggs are being sold for as low as 285 Vatu compared with a dozen Vanuatu eggs at 400 Vatu.

He says Fiji could be taking advantage of the Melanesian Spearhead Group Free Trade Agreement because of a more trying domestic market.

"The supplier of Ram Sami and Sons in Fiji might lose suppliers in terms of the current political regime in Fiji where you have some impact of the tourism industry where the supply within the capacity of supplying into Fiji, that might have lost some of the consumers or their market in Fiji."

Jimmy Rantes says another reason could be Fiji trying to get rid of an excess of eggs produced.