NFP’s MP, Pio Tikoduadua says statistics prove that the Military government and FijiFirst government both led by the same leader have failed miserably to revive the sugar industry while Prime Minister, Voreqe Bainimarama says that NFP wants to tell the world that the sugar industry is failing when in fact NFP is failing.
While speaking on his motion that Parliament agrees to establish a bi‑partisan select committee on sugar to collectively find solutions to revive the sugar industry to ensure
it remains a vibrant industry, Tikoduadua claims the sugar industry has survived many natural disasters and four military coups but the challenges it has been facing over the last 12 years is proving to be insurmountable.
Tikoduadua says in the last 13 years, the number of active growers declined by more than 6,600, sugarcane production fell by 1.595 million tonnes and sugar production has fallen by 149,976 tonnes.
He says the results were astonishing in 1999 where cane production doubled to 4 million tonnes and 170,000 tonnes of cane was left unharvested in the fields.
In his response, Bainimarama says he is against this motion as it is unnecessary and would duplicate work and processes that are already well established.
Bainimarama says the industry is also promoting commercial scale cane farming especially through landowners who have larger parcels of land.
He says a number of new policies have already been developed following the consultations with growers and this led to a significant increase in budget for the sugar industry from $26 million in 2016/2017 to $60 million in 2017/2018.
SODELPA MP, Niko Nawaikula then told parliamentarians that FijiFirst government’s initiatives are not working and it is sad the government cannot admit that they have killed an important institution.
Nawaikula has questioned as to what government has done to address the security of tenure, the need for the farmers to be happy and to feel secure in what they are doing.
FijiFirst MP, Selai Adimaitoga then claimed in Parliament that Nawaikula was misleading parliament while Nawaikula told Adimaitoga that she does not know parliament procedures.
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