Business for beekeeping farmers in Wainunu, Bua is expected to grow in the coming months after an apiary training and processing centre was opened by Government last Friday.

The Mudrenicagi Estate was commissioned by the Minister for Rural and Maritime Development. It was funded under the Ministry’s Self-Help Programme.

Estate owners, Author and Karen Mills, are happy to run the centre that would help farmers at the province grow in the beekeeping industry.

“We had spent a lot of money in developing the estate and still continue to do so,” Mrs Mills said.

The centre.

They bought the 93-acre estate and toiled the soil into what is now fruits, vegetables, vanilla, coffee, root crops, coco, poultry farm including beekeeping.

“To build this $50,000 centre we received about $20,000 assistance from the Ministry of Rural Development through Bua Provincial Administrator’s office,” Mrs Mills said.

Mr and Mrs Mills built their estate in 2015 after spending most of their lives in Canada. Their business is part of their retirement plan. They are 64 and 63 years old respectively.

Mr Seruiratu thanked the couple for making the decision to come back to Fiji and re-invest into the agriculture sector.

“Thank you for bringing back your knowledge, expertise and capital to help us build this country to be a better place for Fijians,” Mr Seruiratu said.

Agriculture In Fiji

He said agriculture in Fiji has a lot of potential and it was a matter of working together with the Government to identify stakeholders in the industry.

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