By LITIA MATHEWSELL
Sugarcane crushing begins today at the Fiji Sugar Corporation’s Penang Mill in Rakiraki.
Rarawai & Penang Cane Productions’ Association president Gyan Singh said farmers were pleased with the start of the season and looking forward to yet another successful year.
He said 1700 farmers and 145 gangs from the association would be supplying cane to the Penang Mill.
Mr Singh said they hoped the mills would be more efficient and not marred by the hiccups experienced last year.
He is also advising farmers who have problems with substitutes to hire contractors to cut and transport their cane, saying it was their main aim for the cane to reach the mills.
He said they also hope for a fair crushing ratio between the cane received by lorries and on the rail system at the mills.
Mr Singh said this would provide ample time for continual crushing as lorries are not expected to deliver cane at odd hours like the locomotives do.
Collective decision on exemptions
Authorities have also made a collective decision to not award exemptions on wheel taxes to those lorry operators that transported less than 350 tonnes of cane last season.
Sugar Cane Growers Council (acting) chief executive Sundresh Chetty said this was because of them not providing their full services to the sugar industry despite operating under such exemptions.
He said the move is to also serve as a deterrent to other operators wanting to take advantage of the concessions, which covers road levy tax and minor infringements.