The Mill will map out a stringent plan as it works its way to achieve the projected production for 2020
SERUWAIA WAQASAQA
LABASA
Fiji Sugar Corporation’s Labasa Mill has set a target of crushing one million tonnes of sugarcane in the 2020 season in order to take production to sustainable levels.
This comment was made by field service manager for FSC Labasa, Amrika Prasad, during a meeting held at the Commissioner Northern conference room the past week.
Mr Prasad said the future plans for FSC are the cane quality payment system, upgrade of rail transportation, large scale farming, mechanical harvesting, co-generation and sugar refining.
“For large scale farming, there is already one being done at Seaqaqa plant with 22 hectares of land. The Government has allocated 200 hectares of land this year,” he said.
“For co-generation system, they have already started 10 mega generators. We need to have enough fuel to run during this crushing season.”
Mr Prasad said the challenges for the mill are the abandoned farms, cane supply, aging group of cane farmers, low yields per unit area and harvesting force.
Milling operation and production
Mr Prasad said this year the mill plans to crush 300 tonnes per hour as last year they had 255.3 tonnes per hour.
Fiji Sugar Corporation manager, Karia Christopher, described the Labasa Mill as more efficient now in terms of production.
“The Labasa mill had fewer breakdowns and in terms of efficiency, we are at the world class level,” he said.
Mr Christopher added cane payment will be done to farmers according to the quality of the cane.
Acting Commissioner Northern Alipate Bolalevu had raised the issue on the cane access roads in the meeting.
In response, Fiji Sugar Cane Growers representative Joe Kanavo said they haven’t received any funds for the cane access roads.
seruwaia.waqasaqa@fijisun.com.fj