National Federation Party Vice-President Parmod Chand says politicians must stop abusing media freedom to spread lies and misinformation that malign other political leaders and ministers in the Coalition Government after National Farmers Union General Secretary Mahendra Chaudhry called on the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Professor Biman Prasad to honour his promise to increase the cane price to $110 per tonne.
Chand says Chaudhry should provide irrefutable evidence of the NFP Leader making such a promise otherwise he should shut up and stop being a petty-minded agitator who obviously cannot digest the inevitable fact that he will soon be in political oblivion.
He says Chaudhry is a leader of the pack in misleading the people.
He says for the first time in 4 years, cane growers have been paid the guaranteed price of $85 per tonne and in fact the recent payment of $7.11 per tonne has taken the price so far to over the guaranteed price.
The party Vice President says growers are happy with the prospect of receiving the highest ever cane payment that is extremely important to restoring their confidence, which is the prerequisite to the revival of the sugar industry.
Chand says the likes of the FLP Leader and his minions will not derail the Coalition Government’s resolve to restore dignity and justice to the growers, that was cruelly snatched away in the last 16 years.
He says the enslavement of growers, which this government is dismantling, was started 16 years ago by Chaudhry as Interim 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 says it is clear that Chaudhry cannot digest the reality, which is growers finally getting the guaranteed price and return of confidence to the industry.
Chaudhry claims the $110 per tonne cane price was promised to cane growers in the Minister's election campaign and he should now honour his promise.
He says the $13.8 million which is now to be reimbursed to cane growers is the money owed to them for their 2019,2020 and 2021 seasons’ crop which the FijiFirst government had offset against industry costs.
Chaudhry further says NFU had vigorously opposed it at the time, and they thank Sugar Industry Minister Charan Jeath Singh for agreeing to reimburse it to the farmers as additional payment for their 2022 crop.
He says the Union is also asking for a clear statement from the Coalition Government regarding its position on the World Bank recommendations to remove all subsidies currently granted to the Sugar Industry.
The FLP Leader says this includes the guaranteed minimum cane price and the fertiliser subsidy.
He says cane farmers are seriously concerned about the future of the industry considering the precarious financial position of the Fiji Sugar Corporation.
Chaudhry says FSC’s annual general meeting is now overdue by almost three years.
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