More than 1,800 sugar cane farmers and 6,000 households in Malolo, Drasa and Koronubu in Nadi will now be able to transport their produce to the market safely.
Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama opened the rural access roads and associated infrastructure project in Malolo this morning.
Bainimarama says these roads will allow farmers to transport cane to the mills and other produce to the market safely and conveniently.
He says people in these areas are part of the community of more than 200,000 Fijians throughout our country who rely on the health and vitality of our sugar cane industry for their livelihoods.
Bainimarama stresses that these new rural access roads will reduce delays and unnecessary labour.
The Prime Minister told the farmers that the access roads will ensure that as our sugar cane industry grows and remains a sustainable source of livelihood for our people, their cane will get to the mills and their crops will reach markets in Fiji and beyond.
He adds that the days that farmers spent worrying about the quality and condition of roads are over.
Bainimarama says these new roads have proper drainage and crossings to resist the rain and flooding that are becoming more frequent and more severe.
These upgraded access roads come under the four‑year development assistance program with the European Union to empower local communities who depend on farming.
The Prime Minister also announced that he had approved an expenditure of $2 million, which the government will make available to sugar cane cooperatives to help them purchase harvesters.
He says they will be announcing more initiatives in the next few months.
