A total of nine awards were presented to outstanding sugarcane farmers from the Labasa Mill area for excellence in production, innovation and sustainability at the Prime Minister’s Sugarcane Farmers’ Mill Award 2025.
Minister for Agriculture, Waterways and Sugar Industry Tomasi Tunabuna, speaking at the event held at the Labasa Civic Centre, acknowledged the resilience and dedication of more than 10,200 sugarcane farmers across Fiji who continue to sustain one of the country’s most important industries despite ongoing challenges.
Tunabuna says the awards are not only about recognising excellence but also encouraging innovation, productivity and sustainability within the sector.
He also announced that the Sugarcane Farmers’ Mill Awards will now become an annual event.
The Minister commends farmers from the Labasa Mill area for continuing to lead cane production among the country’s three mills and acknowledged their contribution towards supporting livelihoods and economic activity throughout Vanua Levu.
Tunabuna highlights that 3,031 farmers supplied more than 583,000 tonnes of cane to the Labasa Mill in 2025 despite challenges including adverse weather, labour shortages and rising operational costs.
He highlights concerns over national cane productivity, saying current yields of below 50 tonnes per hectare are not sustainable for the long-term future of the industry.
Tunabuna says farmers and industry stakeholders must work together to increase production levels to at least 65 tonnes per hectare to ensure cane farming remains profitable.
He also reminds farmers that 2026 will be the final year unimproved cane varieties will be accepted for processing and urged growers to transition to approved cane varieties to improve sustainability and productivity.
The Minister is encouraging farmers to adopt climate-smart agricultural practices and diversify income sources to strengthen resilience against climate change and future economic shocks.
Tunabuna also acknowledges the impact of the global fuel crisis linked to the Iran–USA conflict and called on stakeholders to work together to minimise the effects of rising fuel costs on farmers.
He says that as preparations continue for the 2026 crushing season, the Government will contribute $6.77 per tonne as part of the fourth cane payment in addition to payments from the Fiji Sugar Corporation.
