Joe’s Farm Supermarket is a well-known shop in Tamavua, and the story behind the success of this business was published in The Fiji Times on July 11, 1984.
Things had come a long way for the founders of Joes Farm Produce, Joe Youn and his wife Linda.
Mr Joe arrived from China 30 years ago determined to carve a good life for himself and his wife.
Endurance and hard work had its rewards, but the family’s Sawani farm only outlet the Suva market was bursting at the seams.
This led to the establishment of Joes Farm Produce shop at the Harbour Centre in Suva, and it has since become an outlet for root crops and vegetables.
The family’s 300-acre farm in Sawani grows dalo, cassava, ginger, bananas, cabbage, lettuce and cucumbers. Orders are accepted at their Harbour Centre shop. The farm is then informed, and the produce delivered.
Joe’s Farm Produce also supply vegetables and root crops to the marine department, Navy, Tamavua Hospital, the CWM Hospital and government schools.
Mr Joe’s son Robert was the manager at Harbour Centre, in charge of four other workers employed there.
Hotels are also supplied their vegetables by Joe’s Farm, four hotels in Suva and Toberua Island Resort are among regular customers.
The business today is growing and is a far cry from Mr Joe’s first year when all he had to his name was a little farm plot, a tin shed, a Chinese bowl, an old teapot and a set of teapots and a set of chopsticks.
The success of the Harbour Centre Joe’s Farm Produce store gave the company the initiative to open a supermarket in Tamavua in January 1984.
Joes Farm Supermarket in Ragg Ave was established at a cost of $250,000 which includes the stock assets and the construction housing the supermarket downstairs and the family quarters upstairs.
The supermarket employs seven workers and the manager is Michael Joe, who, like his brother, Robert, helps his father run the family business.
The supermarket made the most of space and each shelf is clearly marked with the various goods on sale.
Everything from cornflakes to washing soap is sold at the shop.
They have a special vegetable section which sells fresh vegetables and root crops. It opens from 6am to 8pm.
This means that it caters for the early birds who prefer to start the day with a walk to the corner shop to buy bread and the papers.
The shop serves people living at Ragg Ave, Princes Rd and the Namadi Heights area.
Mr Joe said they didn’t really fear competition from other shops in the area as they hoped to provide good service and accept orders for fresh vegetables which they have available every day.
Mike Joe as manager of the supermarket sees that the day-to-day activities go smoothly.
He also pitches in to help at the farm in Sawani.
