Honey and other beekeeping by-products are highly demanded worldwide, providing significant economic incentives for honey production.

Minister for Trade, Faiyaz Koya made the comments while handing over the beekeeping project and co-operative registration certificate to the Mataqali Koroitose, in Matainoco Village in Tailevu.

He says on average Fiji imports 3,695kg of honey annually amounting to over $38,000 and the domestic market will be a great start for Mataqali Koroitose to commence its business.

Koya says the initiative of the Fijian Government is to commercialize agriculture to expand the economic base to a more vibrant income-generating and source of employment for young Fijians in the future.

The Apiculture Industry is one of the upcoming industries under the Agro-business sector.

The Trade Minister says it is encouraging and impressive to see communities such as Mataqali Koroitose taking apiculture as a business venture.

“The total investment into the bee farming projects amounts to $34,000 to which Mataqali Koroitose has contributed $8,500 and the Government has contributed $25,500 to procure bees, bee hives, stands and bee farming suits. When the community contributes towards a project, there is ownership and increased responsibility to achieve the desired results — to have the project work. This is the level of commitment required for a successful project.”

Koya says this will allow the villagers to enter into contracts, expand their operations to value-adding and hopefully one day, become exporters.