Sugar Industry Sends Fertiliser proposal To Govt

The sugar industry stakeholders have sent proposals to the interim Government to help salvage or decide the fate of the struggling South Pacific Fertilizers Limited.

Also cane growers have expressed concern over multi-million dollar loans given to the almost defunct fertiliser company. This will be one of the topics on the agenda of a National Farmers Union meeting today along with talks over the third cane payment of $4.02 per tonne and other industry issues.

Sugar Cane Growers Council chairman Jain Kumar said the proposal included options stakeholders could take concerning the fertiliser company. Mr Kumar said the interim Government would have to intervene to help provide a solution for the crisis.
"The Government needs to come in with financial assistance to salvage the company," he said.

Mr Kumar added privatisation of the company was not an initial solution as price of fertiliser would increase. "Farmers will not be able to afford bags of fertiliser if private companies bought off the shares," he said.

"If no other option is available then the last resort would be to the winding up of the company." Mr Kumar says the crisis was of concern to all sugar stakeholders.

Sugar Cane Growers Fund chairman John May said the fund had also written a proposal to the interim Government. "Proposals have been sent to the Government but so far there has been no response from them," he said.

source: fijitimes