Expiring land leases continue to worry sugarcane farmers, with one Seaqaqa farmer calling on the Government and iTaukei landowners to work together to allow farming families to remain on the land they have cultivated for generations.
Tevita Waqavakatoga made the call during the Special Committee on Sugar Industry's public consultation at the Seaqaqa Community Hall.
Waqavakatoga says the expiry of agricultural land leases remains one of the biggest challenges facing sugarcane farmers in the area.
Sharing his own experience as someone from Ono-i-Lau who became a sugarcane farmer, he says he has seen first-hand the struggles faced by farming families.
INSERT: Waqavakatoga on concerns 6th Aug
Waqavakatoga says some farmers are already considering leaving the sugar industry because of the uncertainty surrounding lease renewals.
He is calling on the Government to engage with landowners on the sensitive issue of lease renewals while urging the Special Committee to find practical solutions that will allow farmers to remain on their existing land and continue producing sugarcane.
He says if iTaukei landowners and tenant farmers work together in good faith, the sugar industry can continue to grow and support rural communities.
