Cane farmers in the Western Division have received a timely boost following the recent Rarawai Mill fire in Ba, with the Minister for Sugar Industry, Charan Jeath Singh unveiling immediate relief measures.
Singh announced that from tomorrow until the end of the crushing season, the Sugar Cane Growers Fund will waive all loan application and documentation fees for Western Division growers seeking loans to cover harvesting expenses.
The Minister has also launched a new partnership between the Growers Fund and Pacific Energy, offering additional benefits to registered cane farmers, where growers who register their vehicles will receive loyalty cards that provide an extra 5 cents per litre fuel discount for three years, on top of existing promotions.
The Loyalty Card Program, which began last year, has already seen 2,222 growers access discounts ranging from 2 percent to 12.5 percent at private hospitals, pharmacies, retailers, hardware stores and machinery dealers.
Singh thanked Pacific Energy for its direct support, noting that the initiatives would help ease financial pressures on farmers.
He stressed that these measures provide cane farmers with the tools, incentives and opportunities to sustain and grow their livelihoods despite recent challenges.
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