All sugarcane farmers contribute to national output and should continue to receive government support, Sugar Cane Growers Council chief executive Vimal Dutt has said, reports Fiji Times.
Mr Dutt was reacting to recent remarks by outgoing Sugar Industry Minister Charan Jeath Singh, who suggested that government assistance should be directed mainly at farmers with higher production levels.
While recognising the economic argument for rewarding better quality and consistent supply, Mr Dutt said many farmers with lower output were constrained by factors beyond their control. He pointed to shrinking land availability, uncertainty over lease renewals and rising harvesting costs as major challenges faced by growers.
Mr Dutt said around 10,200 farmers currently supply cane to mills across the country and all of them play a role in sustaining national cane production. He said differences in output levels often reflect structural and environmental constraints rather than a lack of effort by farmers.
Former Fiji Sugar Corporation board member Arvind Singh also cautioned that cane production would continue to fall unless stronger support measures were introduced. He said many farmers were already bracing for lower cane payments while dealing with labour shortages, transport problems, adverse weather conditions and expiring land leases.
Mr Singh said placing the responsibility solely on farmers ignored the wider set of issues affecting the industry and risked further weakening cane production.
