Apenisa Waqairadovu 
[File Photo]
The National Federation Party has challenged Fiji Labour Party and National Farmers Union General Secretary Mahendra Chaudhry to provide irrefutable evidence of claims that NFP had promised a cane payment of $110 per tonne while on the campaign trail in 2022.
The FLP Leader had said that cane farmers are up in arms over the low third cane payment of $12.23 per tonne for their 2024 crop.
He claims that in the lead-up to the 2022 General Elections, the coalition partners NFP and PAP promised to raise the minimum guaranteed price to $110 per tonne if they won the elections.
Chaudhry says this promise has not been kept.
FLP Leader Mahendra Chaudhry.
Responding to this NFP President, Parmod Chand labels Chaudhry as a shameless politician who has an unequalled track record of lying.
Chand claims that this attempt by Chaudhry shows that he is hell-bent on trying to undermine NFP Leader and Deputy Prime Minister, Professor Biman Prasad in a bid to rescue his political fortunes.
He says that historically, every NFP leader has advanced the interests of growers, and Professor Prasad has done the same.
He adds that 2023 growers received over $91 per tonne, well over the guaranteed price, and more than $105 per tonne in 2024.
The $101.08 per tonne paid to farmers prior to Diwali last year was the highest payment ever recorded.
Chand says it is the Coalition Government of Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka that is treating cane growers with honor and respect and not Chaudhry, whom he claims has used growers as political pawns.
He adds the onus is now on Chaudhry to provide irrefutable evidence.
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