Spice firm eyes more exports
“ZONAH UNITED is not merely a business,” says director and founder Naheeda Maqbool of the award-winning company that is taking Fiji’s ginger, turmeric, herbs and spices to another level.
“It is a manifestation of our passion for wellness, sustainability, and rural women empowerment. As we continue to chart our course in the global marketplace, we remain guided by our core values and the belief that nature’s gifts hold the key to a healthier, more vibrant world.”
In fact, those were her closing thoughts when The Fiji Times interviewed her during Trade and Investment Queensland’s trade mission to Fiji and the Pacific early last month.
Zonah United produces a diverse range of natural supplements, superfoods, and wellness items from local herbs and spices that are marketed and exported as health and vitality products.
“From natural health powders to nutrient-rich supplements, each of our offerings reflects our commitment to harnessing the purest ingredients and traditional knowledge to deliver products of unparalleled quality” is typically what the company does.
As the face of Zonah United, which employs marginalised rural women who are single mothers, victims, illiterate, youths from broken families and small rural farmers, Ms Maqbool is active in the export space for avenues where she can push the company’s growing range of offerings, which are exported under the brand name “Zorganic” to New Zealand and Niue.
The arrival of the trade mission from Queensland was another potential platform.
“I feel Queensland’s new strategy to renew partnerships with the Pacific presents a significant opportunity for our brand engagement and market expansion,” Ms Maqbool said.
“Being part of this strategic initiative enables ZONAH UNITED to leverage Queensland’s renewed focus on the Pacific as a platform to showcase our ‘ZORGANIC’ premium Fijian health products to a wider audience.
“Queensland’s commitment to revitalizing partnerships in the Pacific aligns seamlessly with our mission to deliver high-quality, authentic Fijian products that promote health and rural sector development through the creation of employment opportunities for our people in Fiji,” Ms Maqbool said.
The company’s journey, which began almost a decade ago “driven by a vision to share the richness of Fijian culture and the goodness of its natural bounty with the world”, is now heading towards “further expanding our international footprint and bringing our premium export products into our local supermarket and pharmacies as the demand of the ZORGANIC products are usually enquired by locals,” Ms Maqbool said.
In its continuous effort to strengthen its position in the market, Zonah United keeps a tab on emerging market opportunities where it can forge strategic partnerships, investing in innovation to drive sustainable growth.
Queensland’s offer of collaboration and exchange fits well into that, Ms Maqbool said.
“Through our engagement with Queensland’s Pacific strategy, we aim not only to expand our market reach but also foster poverty reduction in Fiji through this venture and help uplift rural communities especially marginalised rural women.”
The company provides employment to the women and encourages them to take up various roles in the company, from truck drivers to loaders and farmers.