Sugar industry will benefit significantly with $70.1m allocation - Singh

The Sugar industry will benefit significantly from this budget with an allocation of $70.1 million as they have also secured funding for all their essential projects, according to Minister for Sugar Industry, Charan Jeath Singh.

While speaking in support of the 2024-2025 National Budget, Singh says the primary concerns for cane farmer is the amount they receive for their cane payments.

Singh says the Deputy Prime Minister's budget speech included the historic strides by paying $91.38 per tonne for the 2022 season and $101.08 per tonne for the 2023 season under this Government.

The Minister says the Government has allocated a $4 million sugar price stabilisation budget and this decision underscores commitment to ensuring farmers receive their due and are not shortchanged as they were previously.

He says $4 million allocated to the Sugarcane Development and Farmers Assistance Program will fund sugarcane planting and replanting while the $1 million Farm Incentive Program will provide $5 for every tonne of cane increased from the 2023 season in comparison to the 2024 season.

Singh says to tackle transportation issues, the Ministry will provide services to farmers through the Cane Access Roads Program ensuring the temporary repair of over 3,000 roads, culverts and crossings as needed to facilitate cane transport to the mills.

The Ministry has once again allocated $1 million for the provision of cane cage-bins to fabricate over 40 cage-bins, enabling the transfer of mechanically harvested cane via the rail network, which is the cheapest mode of transportation for cane.

He says the Ministry will continue with the Fertilizer Subsidy Program where farmers will pay only $20 per bag of fertilizer and will subsidize weedicide costs and subsidize cartage costs for the Penang farmers.

The Ministry has set aside $1 million to assist growers whose leases are expiring or who wish to purchase land for cane farming by providing a subsidy of 30 percent or $7,500.

Singh says the $6 million allocation for Ministry of Multi-Ethnic Affairs marks a significant milestone in Fiji's history as it offers a fresh approach to enhancing relationships amongst diverse ethnic communities in Fiji.

He says this initiative presents an opportunity to promote the development of a dynamic, prosperous and a socially cohesive Fiji society, a society where all Fijians are proud of their identity and heritage.

The Minister adds the Ministry has undertaken most of the preliminary work in relation to the development of gas crematorium in Tuatua, Labasa, while work on other crematoriums are in progress, at Varoko cemetery in Ba, Luvu cemetery in Lautoka and Raiwaqa cemetery in Navua.