Minister for the Sugar Industry Charan Jeath Singh says the government is committed to revitalizing the sugar industry by urging landowners to provide more leases for farming, particularly for young farmers.

Singh highlights the importance of extending lease terms to attract sustainable investment, warning that some landowners prefer converting farmland into housing developments.

He adds this poses a threat to the future of the industry.

The Minister emphasizes that extending lease terms is crucial for providing farmers with the security they need.

“We’d like to give them a longer lease because 30 years is not enough and nobody wants to go with a 30-year lease. So our position is clear and careful that we’d like to increase the land lease up to 99 years.”

However, the Minister states that longer lease periods would come with higher costs for farmers.

“The longer the lease you’re going to have, the higher the premium you have to pay. So it’s a situation where if a farmer wants a 99, then obviously he has to fork in more money to pay for a premium.”

He adds the government has implemented various initiatives to make sugar cane farming more attractive.