The Fiji Sugar Corporation says the 67 cents per tonne deduction from the fourth cane payment was approved and certified by the Sugar Industry Tribunal.
FSC’s CEO, Graham Clark says this is the first time the certified deduction was included in the growers’ statement as they have decided to push for more transparency and accountability.
He says this resulted in some confusion within the growers’.
Clark says nothing is done unilaterally and everything is done based on the Master Award.
50 cents per tonne will go towards grower contribution to Sugar Research Institute of Fiji while 17 cents is for sugar cost adjustment which relates to re-processing of Sugar.
The fourth cane payment of $13.73 per tonne was announced last Friday and after the deductions, sugarcane farmers have received $13.06 per tonne of cane.
Earlier
The Fiji Sugar Corporation is expected to give an explanation today on the 67 cents per tonne deduction from the fourth cane payment which the sugarcane farmers received last Friday.
A number of growers have contacted us saying they were unaware of this deduction which appears in their invoice as certified deduction.
They are saying that they were not anticipating a deduction like this from the fourth cane payment, especially at a time when the growers’ family members have lost jobs and are now totally relying on cane income.
FSC’s CEO, Graham Clark has a press conference today.
We have also sent questions to the Permanent Secretary for Sugar, Yogesh Karan.
The fourth cane payment of $13.73 per tonne was paid to the cane growers last Friday.
This now brings the total amount to $75.26 per tonne of cane compared to the $85 per tonne for the 2019 cane payment.
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