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Mohammed Shah: Fiji's Third-Generation Beef Farmer of Waimaro

A third-generation cattle farmer from Tailevu earned Fiji's top beef farming title in 2023 with a herd of more than 80 head on 120 acres.

Who is Mohammed Shah?

Mohammed Shah farms cattle at Waimaro in Tailevu, on Fiji's main island. In 2023 the Ministry of Agriculture named him Beef Farmer of the Year, and the Fiji Times report on the award is the main public account of his work. He was 45 when it ran.

This profile covers only his public farming record. The newspaper piece is short, and several things readers might want, such as the breeds he keeps or the farm's earlier history, are simply not in it.

What does a Waimaro cattle farm look like?

The farm is 120 acres, which is about 49 hectares, carrying more than 80 cattle. That is a family-scale operation by any measure. For comparison, the 2022 Ahuwhenua Trophy winner in New Zealand, described by the Te Puni Kokiri announcement, runs 4,600 cattle on 6,770 hectares.

Small herds on small holdings are common in many tropical beef countries, and they depend more on the farmer's day-to-day attention than on big infrastructure.

How does Shah manage his herd?

By his own account he visits the farm twice a week. On those visits he gathers the cattle from wherever they have been grazing, tames them, and moves them into a holding yard. Handling animals regularly like this keeps them used to people, which makes later jobs such as drenching, weighing or loading simpler and safer.

The article does not describe feed, breeding, fencing or marketing, so none of those are claimed here.

Three generations of beef farming

Shah is a third-generation cattle farmer. His grandfather and father also raised beef cattle, and he went straight into farming after leaving school. He told the paper beef farming is 'in our blood.'

Continuity like that matters in cattle country, because knowledge of the land, the animals and the local buyers is passed down rather than learned from scratch. The report also says he encourages young people who have land to take up farming, stressing patience and hard work.

Wild dogs and other challenges

Shah named wild dogs attacking cattle, especially calves, as one of his main problems. He said the Ministry of Agriculture has helped when he has asked. Predation of young stock is a recurring headache wherever cattle graze near unfenced bush.

No financial or weather difficulties are described in the source, so none are discussed here.

The Key to Shah's Success

The official recognition rested on a farm that, as reported, is small, long-established in the family and handled hands-on. The lessons below come only from what the Fiji Times account documents.

It is worth saying plainly that the report does not explain the award criteria, so it cannot show why he was chosen over other nominees.

  • Staying with the work: he started farming immediately after school and has continued the family trade.
  • Regular handling: twice-weekly visits to gather and tame cattle keep the herd manageable.
  • Use of a holding yard: moving animals into a yard gives a safe place to work stock.
  • Asking for help: he went to the ministry about predation and says it responded.
  • Passing it on: he urges young landowners to farm, which keeps the knowledge in circulation.

Farm awards in the wider Pacific

Fiji's ministry award sits alongside programs in nearby countries. In New Zealand, the Beef + Lamb New Zealand Awards recognize farms for strategies such as selling to local restaurants. Awards of this kind tend to reward both production and the way a farm fits its market.

For more on beef and cattle culture, the farm.FM ranching section collects ranch stories, and a farm.FM story on Pacific cattle farming adds some regional flavor.

Timeline

  1. Early lifeBorn into a Waimaro family already raising beef cattle (grandfather and father)
  2. After schoolBegins cattle farming immediately after leaving school
  3. 2023Named Beef Farmer of the Year by Fiji's Ministry of Agriculture
  4. 2023Reported as running more than 80 cattle on 120 acres
  5. 2023Interviewed by the Fiji Times about wild dog losses and encouraging young farmers

Frequently asked questions

Who is Mohammed Shah?

Mohammed Shah is a cattle farmer from Waimaro in Tailevu, Fiji, and the Ministry of Agriculture's 2023 Beef Farmer of the Year. He is a third-generation beef farmer.

How big is Mohammed Shah's farm?

The Fiji Times reported a 120-acre farm, roughly 49 hectares, carrying more than 80 cattle. He visits twice a week to gather and tame the animals.

What is Mohammed Shah's biggest farming problem?

He named wild dogs attacking cattle, especially calves, as one of his main difficulties, and said the Ministry of Agriculture has helped when he asked.

Sources and further reading

Profiles are compiled from public sources and reviewed against them. See our editorial policy to suggest a correction.

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