Sugar Industry: Cane production focus for 2009

The Fiji Sugar Corporation is hoping cane production will improve to the level that would maximize utilisation of the investments in the sugar mills for 2009.

The Corporation has admitted that the industry is at a critical stage.

FSC chairman Alipate Qetaki was reacting to recent media reports on the withdrawal of European Union (EU) support on funding and declining EU prices along with declining sugar cane production.

Mr Qetaki said the Corporation and the industry are governed under three major instruments namely the Sugar Industry Act, the Master Awards and the FSC Memorandum and Articles of Association.

"FSC and the sugar industry have embarked on the sugar industry reform programme which is already underway and lagging behind by at least two years," he said.

"There are factors which are beyond the jurisdiction of the FSC but all stakeholders must continue to urge and plead for change in the political environment, it must focus on what the company itself can do to bring about the changes."

He said the industry faces huge challenges in all the facets of its reform and restructure programmes.