Fiji’s Sugar Minister Charan Jeath Singh has outlined the country’s plan to explore the possibility of building a sugar refinery in Labasa.
Addressing farmers in Labasa, Singh emphasized that they should aim for more than just sugar production and sales to maximize their returns.
However, he also said that several factors must be taken into account to ensure the refinery’s viability.
Currently, the country doesn’t have its own refinery plant and sends its raw sugar to the United Kingdom for refining and buys it back at a much higher cost.
Singh says by constructing a refinery in Labasa, farmers may get more than $85 a tonne for their produce.
However, he stressed that the farmers must increase their production.
