Sought after for their expertise and commitment to agriculture and a successful retail business deriving from their Neem farm, Abaco Neem owners, Nick and Daphne Miaoulis were invited to participate in an information seminar in Trinidad in February 2019.

The husband and wife team shared their knowledge and experience with other stakeholders around the Caribbean as a result of an invitation from Allister Glean, International Specialist in Agribusiness and Value Chains from the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).

The focus of the seminar explored Moringa and Turmeric as a viable commodity for development by national and regional agencies. Jointly IICA and CABA (Caribbean Agribusiness Association) are completing two investment profiles for Moringa and Turmeric production.

Nick Miaoulis, a Neem farmer in Abaco, Bahamas for the past two and half decades, encouraged the IICA and CABA to focus more on the herbal medicine market. “The nutraceutical market has long been identified as one that holds tremendous opportunity for growth,” explained Miaoulis. “Our Abaco Neem oil and supplements are a high quality nutraceutical. It would be important for local and regional farmers to produce a high quality, value-add Moringa or Turmeric product that can be marketed throughout the Caribbean and the world,” he stressed.

The term “nutraceutical” is known as parts of a food or a food that provides medical or health benefits including the prevention and treatment of disease. (Source: www.pharmaceutical-journal.com). Miaoulis manufactures his Abaco Neem products as a preventative for hypertension, diabetes and other ailments for the Bahamian healthcare market.

Miaoulis also shared that farmers tend to make up to a 5% profit, depending on weather and other factors, and that by creating a quality value-added product from Moringa, Turmeric or Neem, then profit margins would expand. “You become a farmer, a producer and retailer – all rolled in one,” said Miaoulis.

It was apparent from the meeting with key agriculture industry stakeholders from throughout the Caribbean region, that Abaco Neem has set the standard for agriculture and integrated medicine.

Abaco Neem is a leading farm growing and producing 100% certified organic pharmaceutical grade Neem oil and manufacturing a wide range of products for preventative health care, skin and beauty products, pet care and agricultural products used for natural pest control and fertilizer.Twenty five years ago Abaco Neem began with 25 acres. Today they have expanded to 110 acres and have around 10,000 trees. For more information, visit www.abaconeem.com. 

Abaco Neem partners participated in a Validation Workshop On Investment Profiles of Moringa and Turmeric in Trinidad and shared their knowledge on farming their Neem as a commodity through the various channels to finished retail products. From left to right are: Rex Collymore; Nick Miaoulis, Abaco Neem CEO, Daphne Miaoulis, Abaco Neem COO; Allister Glean, International Specialist in Agribusiness and Value Chains, Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (ICCA); and Vassel Stewart.