Ambassador of the European Union to the Pacific Her Excellency Barbara Plinkert,

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Assistant Representative to Fiji – Ms. Joann Young,

Acting General Manager of Business Assistance Fiji – Ms. Nitika Singh,

Development Partners,

MSMEs Stakeholders,

Senior Government Officials,

Future of Agripreneurs in Fiji,

Members of the Media,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Bula Vinaka and a very warm welcome to you all.

It is a great pleasure to join you all to officiate the Fiji Agri – Innovate In – Country Showcase and Pitching Competition 2025 – a signal of Government’s determination to place MSMEs at the centre of Fiji’s next phase of inclusive and sustainable growth.

This occasion is especially more meaningful given that it is my first official MSME engagement as Assistant Minister for Commerce and Business Development.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND PARTNERSHIPS

I begin by warmly acknowledging our partners: the European Union for its generous funding support, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations for its invaluable technical assistance, and Business Assistance Fiji for bringing this competition and showcase together.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Your partnership is helping us build an ecosystem where innovation can thrive, where farmers are better linked to markets, and where our entrepreneurs are supported to turn ideas into viable, scalable businesses.

Today’s programme, from the 2 weeks of virtual bootcamp, in‑country showcase to the pitching competition and awards, reflects the strength of this collaboration and the seriousness with which we are all treating agribusiness and MSME development as a national priority.

SETTING A NEW BENCHMARK FOR AGRIBUSINESS

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This competition sets a new benchmark for Fiji by bringing together some of the most promising agri‑innovators from across our islands under one roof. What we see in this room is a powerful mix of farmers, technologists, young entrepreneurs, investors, and development partners – all united by a shared vision of a more resilient, competitive and sustainable agriculture sector.

Agriculture remains central to our food security, rural livelihoods and national economy, but it is also on the frontline of climate change, rising input costs and increasingly demanding consumers. These pressures are real, yet they also create a powerful incentive to innovate – to diversify what we produce, add value to what we sell, and use technology and new business models to reduce risk and increase returns.

ALIGNING WITH THE MSME STRATEGIC PLAN 2025 – 2030

Ladies and Gentlemen,

That is why today’s event is so important for the MSME agenda. In December 2025, the Ministry had launched Fiji’s first‑ever MSME Strategic Plan 2025–2030 and the National MSME Database – a transformative roadmap to build a stronger, smarter and more connected MSME ecosystem across the country. The Plan sets a clear ambition: by 2030, MSMEs should contribute around 40 per cent of our GDP, enjoy easier access to finance, and operate within a more coherent system of support that spans data and coordination, regulation, entrepreneurship development, market access, and skills. The Fiji Agri‑Innovate Competition gives life to this vision in a very practical way. It strengthens entrepreneurship support through bootcamps and mentoring, improves market access by connecting finalists to buyers and investors, and enhances access to technology and knowledge – all priority areas under the MSME Strategic Plan.

INNOVATION, MSMES AND THE FUTURE OF AGRICULTURE

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Around the world, agri‑food innovation is reshaping how we grow, process and consume food, with investment increasingly flowing into technologies such as precision agriculture, agricultural biotechnology and circular food systems. For a small island developing state like Fiji, our challenge is not to copy‑and‑paste global models, but to adapt them to our realities – our climate vulnerabilities, our geography, our land tenure systems and our community‑based way of doing business.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This is where MSMEs are so important. They are agile, close to communities, and able to test new ideas quickly – from climate‑smart farming and value‑added processing, to agritourism, e‑commerce and digital platforms for market linkages. Through the MSME Strategic Plan, Government has committed to expanding entrepreneurship support, strengthening co-operatives, improving access to finance and skills, and simplifying procedures so that these MSMEs can grow, formalise and contribute more strongly to jobs and incomes.

RECOGNISING THE TOP 12 AND THE BOOTCAMP JOURNEY

Ladies and Gentlemen,

To our Top 12 finalists, let me congratulate you for reaching this stage. Over the last two weeks you have gone through an intensive bootcamp covering critical areas such as business planning, marketing, financial management, e‑commerce, production planning and access to finance – exactly the kind of capacity‑building that we seek to mainstream.

Your projects span an impressive range of innovation – from bio‑fertilizers and organic crops to value‑added honey products, smart agriculture using digital tools and artificial intelligence, and circular models that combine aquaculture, livestock and horticulture to reduce waste and increase productivity.

These are not just interesting ideas; they are practical solutions to the everyday challenges our farmers face, and they point to new value chains and export opportunities for Fiji if we get the enabling environment right.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Importantly, this competition is designed not only to give you a platform to pitch, but to link you to incubation support, technology validation, business mentoring and potential investors.

These are the kinds of pathways that will decide whether a good idea becomes a sustainable business – and they mirror the pillars of the MSME Strategic Plan on market access, finance and skills.

A CALL FOR LONG – TERM PARTNERSHIP

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This competition should be seen as the beginning of long‑term partnerships, not the end of a process. I urge policymakers, financial institutions, development partners and private‑sector leaders here today to stay engaged with these entrepreneurs after the prizes are awarded.

If we can align our MMSE support to technical assistance and market access initiatives – around a common pipeline of promising MSMEs, we will dramatically increase our chances of success.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

With the right mix of innovation, investment and coordinated support, we can move from primarily selling commodities to building higher‑value, technology‑enabled agri‑businesses that create decent jobs, empower women and young people, and strengthen our resilience to external shocks.

To our finalists: over the next two days, I encourage you to be bold, clear and confident in your pitches. You have already distinguished yourselves by reaching the Top 12. Regardless of the final ranking, each of you is part of a new generation of agripreneurs who are helping to re‑imagine what is possible for our farmers, our rural communities and our economy.

To all our partners and guests, Vinaka Vakalevu for your presence and your commitment to this journey. May this event inspire us to think boldly, act decisively and collaborate meaningfully so that, together, we build an MSME sector – and an agriculture sector – that is more competitive, inclusive and resilient for the years ahead.

Vinaka Vakalevu, and I wish you all a successful and inspiring showcase.