Home About Us The Species The Uses Contact Us
     
 
 
 

Kau Ni Viti Ltd is the company that is majority owned by the participating indigenous forestry landowners (mataqali) in Fiji . It links the forest owners of Fiji with the world markets for their timber.

 
 

Kau Ni Viti

Fiji is a country with an amazing variety of trees and flora, reaching from the inland highland virgin forests to the coastal area. Many of the species found in Fiji are well known as they are also found in the Australasia and South East Asia regions.

Kau Ni Viti Ltd is the company that is majority owned by the participating indigenous forestry landowners (mataqali) in Fiji . It is this company the forest owners sell their logs through, and connects these remote villages to the world markets. Kau Ni Viti means great timber, and for many of the villages this is their only source of cash income.


A Brief History of Fiji's Native Timber Exports


Fiji 's first export of timber occurred when its neighbours traded or pillaged some of the great timbers to build their seafaring canoes.


The early Europeans used the great Fijian Kauri trees for masts and boat building. They also exploited the island sandal wood for European furniture, to the stage it is almost extinct.

More recently timber exports have occurred through the saw-millers having licenses for geographical areas owned by the mataqali. In 2009 the prices received by the mataqali for their international premium timber were less than timber pulp and firewood prices. In some cases the prices were under 10% of what was being paid for the same species logs in South East Asian countries.

 


Huge wastage of Fiji 's great timber species occurred and in many cases high quality hardwoods and finishing timbers were used for framing and boxing. Fiji has a great supply of softwoods ideal for low value uses, but the softwoods were pushed aside as the great hardwoods were so cheap

To provide this self help better commercial alternative, Kau Ni Viti was formed

Fiji 's Department of Forests, often in conjunction with CSIRO of Australia, over the last 50years has completed some excellent research in the Fiji species, which has been used in this site.

The Companies are Dedicated to:
 

The companies wish to have a strong relationship with efficient Fijian saw-millers and timber processors, creating much needed jobs in the island republic. Kau Ni Viti is also looking forward to assisting others in establishing manufacturing which uses timber.

The main export timbers are non-plantation timbers with most species being native to Fiji . All new timbers planted in our sustainability program will be indigenous to Fiji .

Several other companies in Fiji specialise in plantation pine and mahogany timber. There are also excellent downstream processing companies, some that make veneer plywood and others mouldings.