Fiji’s inaugural Pacific Agri-Innovate Competition and Pitching event will play a vital role in connecting stakeholders, farmers, investors, technology experts, and policymakers.

The Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Trade, Shaheen Ali, emphasized that the competition aims to identify, nurture, and showcase innovative agri-businesses with significant growth potential in the Pacific region.

He further stated that by offering a platform for entrepreneurs to present their ideas, the competition seeks to stimulate innovation, create job opportunities, and contribute to the overall development of the agri-food sector.

“This competition, I take it, is just the beginning. The ideas we see here today could one day, as was mentioned, transform not only agriculture in Fiji but maybe the entire Pacific region. And we solve the food security and nutrition security issue once and for all.”

Eleven participants will take part in this competition, from which three winners will be selected to participate in the 2024 Pacific Small Island Developing States Solutions Forum taking place in Nadi this November.

The Pacific Agri-Innovate Competition is an initiative led by the Ministry of Trade, Cooperatives, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, along with Business Assistance Fiji, and is funded by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the European Union.