Farmers in Fiji’s Western Division are in a race against time to harvest over 85,000 tonnes of sugarcane still standing in the fields, with the deadline to deliver it to the Rarawai mill in Ba set for next Monday.
Local growers say the schedule is unreasonably tight, citing persistent rainfall and a shortage of labourers as major obstacles. Many cane cutters have yet to return from festive season leave, leaving farmers scrambling to complete the harvest on time.
Atish Kumar, a farmer in the Rarawai sector and president of the Fiji Cane Lorries Association, emphasized that more time is urgently needed. “The rain and the absence of workers are slowing down the harvest,” he said, stressing that the current deadline is “too rigid” for farmers to meet.
However, former Fiji Sugar Corporation (FSC) board member Arvind Singh argued that extending the closing date would not solve the underlying issues. “We are battling the weather, which is beyond our control, and we cannot compel labourers to return to the fields,” he said. “Expecting all this cane to be harvested in less than a week is unrealistic.”
Farmers now face the difficult task of coordinating limited manpower and unfavorable weather conditions to meet the looming delivery deadline.
