NFP President hits back at Chaudhry over cane payment claims

National Federation Party President Parmod Chand has strongly criticised Fiji Labour Party Leader, Mahendra Chaudhry for what he calls a misleading and false statement about the government’s top-up to the final cane payment for the 2024 season.

Chand says Chaudhry’s comments are deliberate lies meant to mislead the public and should be investigated by the police and the Registrar of Political Parties.

He explains that Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka earlier had announced an $8.27 per tonne top-up for the final cane payment, increasing the total payout to $9.47 per tonne and bringing the final cane price for 2024 to $101.13 per tonne.

Chand says Chaudhry wrongly claimed that the top-up was only $1.20 per tonne and called it an insult to farmers.

The NFP President adds that cane growers have received record payments over the past three years; $91 in 2023, $105 in 2024 and now over $101.

He says all these payments are well above the guaranteed price of $85 per tonne.

He accuses Chaudhry of spreading lies to undermine the government’s efforts to restore fairness and dignity to farmers, saying his actions breach the Political Parties Act.

He says this government is dismantling enslavement of growers, which was started by Chaudhry as Finance and Sugar Minister in the post-coup Bainimarama regime.

He says under his stewardship, the elections of the Sugar Cane Growers were deferred because Chaudhry insisted on reforms in the industry and the rest is history.

Chand further says that it is clear that Chaudhry cannot digest the reality and growers receiving record payments for 3 consecutive years and return of confidence to the industry.

Meanwhile, Chaudhry maintains that the government’s actual top-up was only $1.27 per tonne, and that the $8.27 per tonne figure includes proceeds from sugar exports, not a government contribution.

He says Chand is confused and doesn’t understand the issue.

Chaudhry says there is nothing wrong about the figures he has quoted and Chand is free to go and report him to whoever he likes.

He adds that Chand should not try and claim credit for something which the farmers earned for themselves because it is not a government top-up.