43pc canefarmers small growers – PM

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43 per cent of canegrowers in the country are small growers, cutting less than 100 tonnes of cane per year, says Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama. Picture: FILE/REINAL CHAND

Forty-three per cent of canegrowers in the country are small growers, cutting less than 100 tonnes of cane per year.

Speaking on the ministry’s plans to revitalise the sugar industry in Parliament, Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama said the growers often grew other crops to subsidise their income. “That is why we created the option for smaller scale growers to grow non-sugarcane crops for domestic purpose to support Fiji’s food security and for export purposes,” Mr Bainimarama said.

“We need more locally grown crops available for our people. They are healthier and more resilient to the global price shocks we have been experiencing.”

Mr Bainimarama said Fiji had a more modern and diversified economy and the interest of the young generation reflected that.

“Fiji, as we all know, is not the same country that it was in the ’60s and ’70s.

“Traditionally, cane growing has been heredity with farms being passed down from generation to generation, however, young Fijians increasingly want to diversify by growing other crops or even taking up other professions entirely.”

Mr Bainimarama said the average age of canefarmers was 59 in a population where a large majority of our people were under the age of 40.

“This is an issue we must confront squarely. I have mentioned, the assistance we are providing to mechanise the industry, but not all terrain can be harvested by machines.

“Some require manual labour and to fill the labour shortage, we are also working with the Fiji Corrections Service to supply labour to the industry.”

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