A former professional chef has made an impressive career shift to farming, and it’s paying off.

Founder of Asaeli Enterprise and Solo Farms Asaeli Uluimoala, has emerged as one of the top three winners in Fiji at the Pacific Agri Innovate Competition 2024, in partnership with Business Assistance Fiji.

Uluimoala’s journey into agriculture was unexpected.

Before the pandemic, he was working as a chef in Laucala Island Resort, Radisson Blu Resort and ATS, but when global disruptions forced many businesses to adapt, Uluimoala seized the opportunity to explore a new career path in farming.

He says though he had no prior experience in agriculture, the Navua farmer credits a boot camp that equipped him with the skills and knowledge necessary to launch his venture.

The 36-year-old says his decision to pivot from the culinary arts to agriculture has proved to be a wise one.

He says his farm is now thriving, and his success in the competition is expected to further propel his business ventures.

“Like we supply a vegetable, assorted vegetables and crops to a hotels around Pacific Harbor and to our local market and to our exporters like Ben’s Trading. And we have a bio-fertilizer and we have a coconut organic product.”

Uluimola says his long-term plans include expanding his operations on his 209-acre farm.

He envisions scaling up production and also diversifying into vegetable importation to meet growing market demand.

His win is not the only success from Fiji in the Pacific Agri Innovate Competition.

Other notable winners include Apenisa Maracava of Purayil Investment Limited and Shayal Singh, the founder of Million Green Fiji.

Three other winners are also from Samoa and Solomon Islands.

This is part of the 2024 SIDS Forum which is underway in Nadi.

Filipe