The first ‘2024 Pacific Agri-Innovate Business Plan Competition’ was officially launched in Suva yesterday. This initiative aims to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship within the micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) sector, particularly focusing on agriculture.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade, Co-operatives, SMEs and Communications, Manoa Kamikamica, highlighted the significance of the competition in fostering innovation, resilience, and the growth of MSMEs in the agricultural sector, ultimately aiming to boost economic development. He emphasized that the competition seeks to equip participants with essential resources, guidance, and opportunities to transform their innovative concepts into viable and sustainable agricultural practices.
Kamikamica also noted that the competition would enable MSME participants to establish the first agri-business incubation centre, dedicated to nurturing and accelerating agricultural startups and innovations within the nation.
Joann Young, Assistant Representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in Fiji, indicated that the launch embodies a joint commitment from FAO, the Trade Ministry, and the Ministry of Agriculture to enhance agribusiness support in Fiji. She stated that by providing the required resources, infrastructure, and expertise, a dynamic ecosystem for agricultural innovation and entrepreneurship could be developed for the benefit of all sector stakeholders.
The Pacific Agri-Innovate competition is a crucial component of the Sustainable Transformation of Domestic Agrifood Systems in Fiji, Samoa, and the Solomon Islands (STODAS) project, which seeks to promote the growth of rural agribusiness through business incubation and technology commercialization.
Ramesh Chand, general manager of Business Assistance Fiji, mentioned that the initiative aims to identify, nurture, and highlight innovative agribusinesses with significant growth potential in the Pacific.
The competition is also being launched simultaneously in Samoa and the Solomon Islands, focusing on various areas, including post-harvest and food technology, value chain management, farm retail, sustainable agriculture, farm mechanization, and supply chain management, among others. The winner will receive $1,000 (FJ$2,216) and will gain access to mentoring and advanced incubation support. Furthermore, the competition’s dedicated website was launched as part of the event.