Fiji earns revenue of $2.8 million from first shipment of bauxite in 2017

<p>The Republic of Fiji, home to the Vanua Levu mine, which is one of the largest bauxite mines in Oceana, has earned revenue of $2.8 million from the first shipment of bauxite in 2017, totalling $52.2m revenue since mining started at Nawailevu in Bua in 2010.</p> <p><img style="vertical-align: middle; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="http://www.alcircle.com/uploads/images/55486.jpg" alt="news" width="448" height="278" /></p> <p>In March, William and Goslings Operations &amp; Logistics Manager Madhulesh Lakhan confirmed that its vessel, the&nbsp;MV Ocean Merry, at the port of Galoa in the province of Bua, loaded the first shipment of bauxite ore for 2017.</p> <p>Dr Taga said the bauxite shipped to China weighed 58,709.60 tonnes which raked in revenues of $1,350,320.80 in US dollars.</p> <p>{googleAdsense}</p> <p>Recently, Fiji&rsquo;s Director Mineral Development Dr Raijeli Taga said that the bauxite export has been affected from the shores of Bua due to volatile nature of the mining business. &ldquo;Further exports will be purely a business decision of the tenement holder which will depend on the market price in terms of profitability and sustainability of their operations.&rdquo;</p> <p>"If the export price is not feasible then the tenement holder would continue with the mining activity and export when the price is right," she said.</p> <p>XINFA Aurum Exploration Fiji Ltd will keep the mining operations running in order to stockpile for later export.</p>