Sustainability
Fiji’s only producer of non-destructively harvested Heart of Palm
Hogamata Farm is Fiji’s only producer of non-destructively harvested Heart of Palm and has developed the commercial basis for heart of palm supply to Fiji’s finest hotels and restaurants.”
Because of its multiple trunks, harvesting is non-destructive, as one trunk is cut, suckers are growing up to take its place, the palm is not killed.
This is how bananas grow and are cultivated.
Natural Spring Fed
Cyclone Winston caused a lot of damage to standing Peach Palm and the El Nino drought severely hampered its recovery, such that supply was virtually halted for 9 months. Harvesting has now resumed but will not reach its potential until mid 2017.
Sustainable Recycling of Waste
Hogamata Farm is Fiji’s only producer of non-destructively harvested ‘heart of palm’ and has developed the commercial basis for heart of palm supply to Fiji’s finest hotels and restaurants.
Conserving the Endangered Fiji Sago Palm
The historic distribution of the Fiji Sago Palm has been restricted essentially to the province of Serua. Through the historic period the distribution has declined significantly to its current relict populations and endangered status. Pollen analysis in swamps reveals that prior to human arrival on Viti Levu, the Fiji Sago Palm was found right up the Sigatoka valley near Hogamata Farm. Until relatively recently, the loss was steady but inexorable, however, within the last few decades the rate of loss has increased dramatically through new schemes and practices
NatureFiji-MareqetiViti
NatureFiji-MareqetiViti with its partners, initiated the Fiji Sago Palm Conservation and Sustainable Utilisation Project in January 2008. The project highlighted Fiji’s endemic Sago Palm as a hitherto unrecognized, endangered species, for which sustainable harvesting by an informed and supportive landowner community, provides the best option for the long term survival of the species in its characteristic single species wetland forest.
Species Recovery Plan
One component of the Species Recovery Plan which NFMV agreed with the Fiji Government was to prohibit the sale of seko and to introduce a substitute ‘palm-heart’ species to be cultivated by those using the Fiji Sago Palm.
And that's where it started
Thus was born the Hogamata Farm Heart of Palm project, and the first seedlings from the farm were donated to the Government to enable the Agriculture Department to start its own propagation centre in 2015. Hogamata Farm and NFMV have an agreement that 50% of the margin on every seedling sold will be donated to NFMV for Fiji Sago Palm or other conservation purposes.