Hope for sugar $15M sweetener for ailing industry

Stakeholders in the sugar industry are hoping that the $15 million state injection to acquire vacant native land for cane farming will assist in significantly increasing cane production in the next few years.

Sugar Cane Growers Council chairman Jain Kumar said on Tuesday that they are extremely delighted that government is once again investing heavily in the sugar industry.

The government’s plan for the industry next year involves acquiring the majority of the native land which is idle for cane farming.

Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama revealed on Friday during his budget address that a taskforce had already begun work on facilitating the utilisation of idle land for productive use.

He said with attractive terms and conditions for both leasors and leasees the first lot of the lands will be available by the end of the first quarter of next year.

Kumar stressed that because of the land problem the industry suffered immensely in the last number of years.

Our cane production has been declining for the last number of years because of expiring leases.

“With the declining price of world sugar price and declining cane production locally both the farmers and the entire industry were heading for a disaster.

“But we are glad that this aid by the government will assist in greatly increasing the cane production.”

Kumar added that they hoped more farmers would enter cane farming from next year when new land would be made available by the government.

source: fijidailypost