Cane Farmers Strike : Day 3

Sugar cane farmers are still on strike this evening. The latest information into 7NEWS is that after a day of meetings, the management of the Sugar Cane Farmers Association and the Sugar Industry Control Board have been unable to reach a resolution.

The sugar cane farmers went on strike on Tuesday in protest of a core sampling unit and a new pricing mechanism – where farmers earn for the quality of the cane they produce, not the quantity. The system was implemented as part of the Sugar Industry Act passed in 2001. But farmers told us yesterday the new system is short changing them.

But with the strike on right now, it’s the industry that’s suffering and both sides have agreed that if no resolution is reached during tonight’s rounds of negotiations, they’ll each have to do what they have to do.