THE Sugar Cane Growers Council has called on cane-cutting gang members to hold their annual general meetings and to submit their memorandum of gang agreement (MOGA) forms as soon as possible.
SCGC CEO Sundresh Chetty made the comment as the Lautoka mill area — from Sigatoka to Lautoka — began preparations for the July 3 start of the 2018 harvest season.
“We are urging those gangs who have yet to hold their AGMs to do so and to submit their MOGA forms to the Fiji Sugar Corporation sector offices and the SCGC so that logistics can be finalised,” he said.
Mr Chetty said labour shortage issues were the biggest concern going into the 2018 harvest season.
“Sugar industry stakeholders including the Sugar Ministry, FSC and SCGC have had meetings with the Fiji Corrections Service and we have been assured that inmates will be provided this season to assist us with harvesting and we thank them in advance for however they will assist us.”
Mr Chetty added contractors had been engaged to begin cane access road repairs in the lead-up to the start of crush.
Despite adverse weather at the start of the year, the industry has forecast a total harvest of 1.7 million tonnes.
