Riya Mala 
[ Source : Parliament of Fiji ]
The sugar industry needs to produce approximately 4 million tonnes of cane to get back on track and restore its stability.
This production target is crucial for revitalizing the sector, ensuring the sustainability of sugar mills, and supporting the livelihoods of farmers and workers dependent on the industry.
This was stressed by the Minister for Sugar Industry and Multi-Ethnic Affairs, Charan Jeath Singh, while submitting the Sugar Industry Amendment Bill of 2024 this afternoon.
He says that this will be possible through the dedication and hard work of productive farmers who are committed to improving their yields and contributing to the industry’s recovery.
“Because I’ll tell you what, the sugar industry has to survive. It’ll survive. You don’t have to have 22,000 farmers. You need to have 12,000 or 10,000 productive farmers in this country. And we just need 3.5 to 4 million tons of cane. Once that cane production goes up, currently, as I speak, we’ve got a lot of interest from Chinese and other industries that want to come and put a mill here.”
Singh says that there are many absentee farmers residing overseas, and as a result, the ministry is in conversation with the Ministry of Lands and the Ministry of I-Taukei Affairs to identify farmers who are not producing and have them return their land.
The goal is to reclaim the unused land and redistribute it to those who are willing and able to cultivate it, thereby improving productivity and supporting the local economy.
