Praneeta Prakash 
Sugar Research Institute of Fiji Chief Executive Vinesh Kumar says there are significant opportunities for improvement and growth in the sugar industry.
Kumar made the comments while making submission on the 2016 to 2021 Sugar Research Institute of Fiji annual report.
He says the sugarcane industry remains an integral part of the country’s economy.
Kumar says he is optimistic about the future of the industry, predicting its sustainability for at least the next decade.
“If you see, look at western division, look at towns, cities, if you look at even the northern division, sugarcane industry is the industry that brought in, penetrated into multiple industries developed out of sugar industry. So for me, looking at sugar industry, maybe for the next decade, it is there to stay.”
Kumar says a key element of the industry’s future success lies in collaboration across various sectors.
“There needs to be a concerted effort. There should not be a blaming game. This is a miller’s problem. This is a grower’s problem. I think there should be a concerted effort. But I see at a national level, there should be a lot of collaboration. There is a lot of synergies.”
Kumar says they have the potential to maximize the use of land resources, benefiting both the sugarcane and broader agricultural sectors.
