Farmers groups applaud sugar reform

THE government’s decision to go ahead with the reform and restructure of the sugar industry has gained support from the Fiji Kisan Sangh.

Sangh General Secretary Kallu Dhani Ram said the sugar industry review was long overdue.

Ram said it was still not too late to carry out the review now as the industry was going through very difficult times.

“We appreciate what the interim Government is doing because no democratically elected Government has done such a thorough review of the industry so far,” he said.

Ram said the revelation that certain bodies in the sugar industry could be dissolved as a result of the review was welcome news for farmers.

“Some organisations have been chewing up farmers’ money for years without showing any good results. A lot of money, in fact millions of dollars, has been wasted on these organisations at the expense of the country’s poor cane farmers” he said.

Ram also welcomed moves by the government to source fertilisers from elsewhere if the price of local fertilisers increases.

“We believe that fertiliser should be sold at a price that can be afforded by farmers, who are struggling to make ends meet.”

“Fertiliser is an important ingredient for cane farming and as such it should be sold at an affordable price,” he said.