Bananas about Bananas

Bananas at one time were the nation’s second-biggest export earner. Fiji was a British Crown Colony from 1874 until independence in 1970. Under the indenture system, people from India came to Fiji on contracts of service mainly to work on plantations including banana plantations. 

Enjoying fresh fruit is surely one of the premier joys of life. And there are few better fruits than bananas. Sometimes referred to as the hydrogen bombs of nutrition, they are packed full of goodness.  In Fiji, bananas have a long and respected history, being at one time Fiji’s second largest export item after sugar. But it is as a domestic crop that bananas, they are called china (spelt jina), are most visible locally. They are a popular household garden item and banana trees may be found in urban backyards as well as in rural plantations.  Do enjoy the fresh fruit on offer during your stay, and don’t forget Fiji’s bountiful bananas.