Apenisa Waqairadovu 
Sugarcane farmers may soon elect their representatives to the Sugarcane Growers Council if the Sugarcane Amendment Bill 2025 is passed.
The Bill was tabled in Parliament this morning by Rakuita Vakalalabure, Chairperson of the Standing Committee on Justice, Law and Human Rights.
He says that prior to 2015, council members were elected according to a process defined in the Act.
Vakalalabure says the Sugarcane Amendment Act 2015 gave the power to the minister to make appointments, and the new bill seeks to revise this.
“Consequently, Hon. Speaker, the Sugar Industry Amendment Bill 2024 aims to revise this provision, which will modify the council composition and further detail the electoral process for selection and qualifications of its members.”
Vakalalabure also outlined suggestions by the committee as to who can apply for candidacy to the council.
“The committee suggests that individuals must only demonstrate the ability to produce any amount of cane to qualify for candidacy. This would specifically mean that a person will be deemed eligible if he or she provides evidence of cane production without the required tonnage as prescribed by regulation.”
The committee has also provided a suggestion that anyone who wishes to run for election into council must be in the country for at least two years and should have knowledge about the agricultural landscape of the country.
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