Sugarcane farmers welcomed the New Year with a new support initiative, as the Sugar Cane Growers Fund and Pacific Specialist Healthcare signed a Loyalty Card Agreement.

The agreement provides farmers with discounted medical services at the Nadi-based hospital.

Farmers can now access General Practitioner services for just $7.50, along with a 10 percent discount on all other medical treatments.

SCGF Board Chair Ahemad Bhamji states that the card will be exclusive to farmers, with free membership offered until March this year.

He says the Fund is continuing negotiations with the hospital to secure greater discounts for the farming community.

“We are not just confining it to sugar cane, but the whole sugar industry. Nobody says we have left them out. The whole intention is to provide value-adding and extraordinary services in collaboration with some essential services and product partners that would make an impact on the lives of ordinary growers.”

The sugar industry stakeholders, including Fiji Sugar Corporation workers, South Pacific Fertilizers Pte Ltd, the Sugar Cane Growers Council, and the Sugar Research Institute of Fiji, are all part of SCGF’s loyalty program.

Bhamji says the SCGF is also in discussions with other industry members, including petroleum companies, supermarkets, and Fiji Airways, to provide additional support for farmers.

“Maybe somebody would ask why Fiji Airways? We are trying to cater for the farmers coming from Labasa, so that at least we have got them in our mind as well, that if they have to travel to Viti lev-el, we are negotiating for them as well.”

Last year, SCGF implemented several initiatives to support sugarcane farmers, including a reduction in the interest rate to 4.5 percent, effective today.