Riya Bhagwan 
Fiji’s once-thriving sugarcane industry is at risk as unsustainable environmental factors threaten the viability of ratoon crops.
Ratooning, a cost- and time-effective method of growing new sugarcane, relies heavily on soil quality, nutrients, and the absence of pest or disease pressures.
Chief Executive for the Sugar Research Institute of Fiji, Dr. Vinesh Kumar, in collaboration with the Ministry of Sugar, the Sugarcane Growers Council, and the Fiji Sugar Corporation, has initiated a ratoon management program to address the issues.
Dr. Kumar says the program will provide education, training, and essential resources to applicants, supporting agronomic practices that aim to boost ratoon crop yield by 15 to 20 percent within a year.
“It will go through a process whereby we will do physical verification. We will go down to the farm and have a look. One of the conditions for application is that your ratoon should be less than seven years and gaps in the ratoon have to be around 25 percent, so these are some of the conditions. One of the other conditions, which is again across any government grant, is you need to have approved varieties.”
He adds that farmers can apply by filling out a form available at the SRIF, FSC, or Growers Council offices, or by submitting an online application on the SRIF website.
FBC News reached out to the Ministry of Sugar, the Growers Council, and FSC to seek information on further plans to revitalize the sugar industry, but we are yet to receive their comments.
