Delaivuna Farm Fresh

Delaivuna Farm Fresh has officially opened its feed mill today to supply poultry feed for their farm on Taveuni Island, as well as other interested poultry farmers.

The family business invested $650,000 into the project, highlighting the importance of quality feed in boosting productivity.

Company Director Krishneel Deo says this initiative has also created ten new jobs.

Deo says the facility is more than just a business expansion – it’s a step towards self-sufficiency in agriculture.

“We now proudly maintain 4,000 chickens producing eggs daily. However, this growth brought new challenges, particularly the high cost of quality feed, which seriously impacted our profitability.”

Deo says the high cost of poultry feed was affecting their profits, so he and his team decided to build the feed mill.

Deo says the idea was initiated in 2011 when the family, while working on construction projects in Taveuni Island, faced challenges finding fresh, quality eggs.

He adds starting with just one dozen laying hens, they eventually expanded their operations to meet the needs of the entire island.

Deo adds it does not end here for them as they are already planning on other businesses.

“Looking ahead, we are excited to encourage and support local farmers in expanding into corn and soybean cultivation. We have conducted extensive research and have already successfully harvested soybean crops at our own farm in California. These initial results are promising, and we see tremendous potential for these crops to become staple ingredients in our feed formulation.”

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Professor Biman Prasad reiterates the government’s commitment towards the poultry industry.

“If you look at the poultry industry in Fiji, the government has strongly supported this industry. We are providing 42% duty protection. We want our local producers to produce more chicken and to produce more eggs. We encourage more farmers and more entrepreneurs to get into poultry farming.”

Professor Prasad adds that Parliament has passed the Access to Business Funding Bill last week to provide financing options for MSMEs.

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