WEST cane growers have welcomed the $5 per tonne special cane payment but remain concerned over the growing cost of living.
The one-off cane payment is a relief for farmers struggling to maintain a production level that will keep their farms alive.
Drasa sector cane farmer Mahen Prasad said the extra payment would not address the consistent high costs each farmer faced yearly.
“One thing people should know is every time they say there will be an increase in the cane payment, most of the people we go to, like labourers and lorry drivers, will also increase their price,” Mr Prasad said.
“They know we have extra money in our pockets, so they will also bring up their price.
“And we have the $17.03 fourth cane payment which is an amount we were supposed to get anyway. With the third cane payment, people really struggled.”
Fiji Cane Lorries Association’s Rarawai president Atish Kumar said operating a cane lorry was not an easy task.
“We have costs to cover too,” Mr Kumar said.
“Most of us use very old trucks and every year before the harvesting season, we have to get them serviced. That costs money.”
