Fiji’s Sugar Industry is here to stay says Dr Reddy while opening 2018 crushing season

Fiji’s Sugar Industry is here to stay and it continues to be the government’s vision to revitalize the industry, despite the numerous challenges which have been faced.

These were words of Minster for Waterways Mahendra Reddy while opening the 2018 crushing season at the Lautoka Mill.

He says that working side‑by‑side with the sugar cane farmers, and with Fiji Sugar Corporation, has put the industry back on a path towards a resilient future – a future where sugar remains a bedrock of Fiji’s economic growth and prosperity.

Reddy also stressed that this coming year, the level of assistance from government for the industry remains significant adding that government has also established a Sugar Cane Stabilization Fund, aimed towards creating more certainty for the cane price, with a base price of $85 per tonne of cane agreed in principle for this innovative scheme.

Meanwhile, the Lautoka Mill has been ranked the number one mill by the Fiji Sugar Corporation in 2017 and this year it is likely again to be the mill to beat.

He also highlighted that in 2017, Lautoka Mill crushed 455,781 tonnes of cane adding that Lautoka Mill is expected to crush 485,000 tonnes of cane with a forecasted 6% increase in cane crushed for 2017.