Lautoka Sugar Mill at the height of the crushing season the past year with lorries queuing waiting for sugarcane to be loaded...Given sugar reforms announcements recently, they hope this would further increase.
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As the sugar mills in Ba and Labasa have started operations, farmers are grateful for the assistance received from the government.
According to one farmer in Sabeto, Nadi, Mohammed Faizad, who will be harvesting close to 2000 tonnes of sugarcane from his family farm, he was thankful for road upgrades in his area.
“We have had the roads in our area upgraded and this will make it easier for the farmers to transport cane to the mills,” Mr Faizad said.
He said the fuel concession was also of great help to him and the rest of the farmers in his community.
“This will help us as we transport cane to the mills on the Lorries and it makes many trips to and from, this will help us save”
He said as the cost of living is high, the farmers would benefit from this initiative.
Smooth harvesting
Sundresh Chetty, the chief executive for the Fiji Sugarcane Growers Council said all stakeholders had been working together to restore the sugar industry with a smooth harvesting season this year.
“The upgrading of infrastructure has been high on the agenda and the government has worked on this and it has been improved,” said Mr Chetty.
Meanwhile the extension of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) is an added bonus for the lorry drivers.
The agreement will see concessions on wheel tax, road user levy tax and minor infringement notices issued to cane lorry drivers.
Mr Chetty said this will give lorry drivers an opportunity to keep a constant supply.
The agreement between the LTA, Fiji Sugar Corporation, Sugar Cane Growers Council and the Sugar Industry Tribunal is expected to keep a consistent supply of harvested sugar cane to the four mills.
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