India company to address Fiji mill woes

The Fiji Sugar Corporation has engaged a company from India to address the problems and breakdowns being experienced at the country’s four sugar mills.

CEO John Prasad announced the development at a meeting with cane growers and sugar industry stakeholders in Ba last Friday.

Prasad says external engineering support has been sought with the engagement of JP Mukherji and Associates of India to identify bottlenecks and recommend the best way forward.

He also revealed that the FSC was looking at the economics of the rail transport system which would see the orderly closure of uneconomical sections of the railway network.

Prasad assured farmers who raised concerns over the possible closure of a sugar mill on Viti Levu that while the closure may be financially justified, the FSC is at the same time, very cautious of the social implications.

In the meantime – the FSC says it is prepared to pay up to $7 per tonne of cane as subsidy for Rarawai mill growers who wish to deliver their sugarcane to either the Lautoka or Penang Mill.

source: radiofiji