Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Professor Biman Prasad says there is good news for cane growers as they are set to receive a record cane payment this year for the 2022 harvesting season after being short-changed by more than a total of $13.870 million for the previous 3 seasons.
Professor Prasad also says the payment is now above the guaranteed price of $85 per tonne for the first time in 4 years.
He further says this is following the announcement of the 4th cane payment of $7.11 per tonne of cane, bringing the total so far for the 2022 season to $85.26 per tonne.
The Deputy Prime Minister adds both he and Minister for Sugar, Charan Jeath Singh are confident of a record price for the 2022 season when the final or wash-up payment is paid out in October.
He adds this should shut up critics, particularly the parliamentary opposition and those singing from the rooftops outside parliament, lying about the coalition government’s commitment towards growers and their families.
Professor Prasad further adds since the former FijiFirst Government introduced the guaranteed price in June 2018, the $85 per tonne was paid only once.
He says that was in October 2018, a few weeks before the November 2018 elections, and it was clearly electioneering.
The Deputy Prime Minister says from 2019 to 2021, growers didn’t receive $85 per tonne as guaranteed.
He further adds for 3 seasons they were short-changed, growers lost a total of $13.8 million under the FijiFirst.
Professor Prasad says this was a massive betrayal of cane growers by the former FijiFirst government that paid lip-service to their plight and kicked them to their guts.
He also says the coalition government is now re-setting the direction of the sugar industry, which was the lifeblood of our economy for over a century.
The Deputy Prime Minister further says the first step towards this objective of revival of the industry and rejuvenating the confidence of growers is to fulfill the commitment of the guaranteed price of $85 per tonne.
