AGGRESSIVE and prudent marketing will be one of the key focus areas for the Fiji Sugar Corporation (FSC) in 2016.

FSC executive chairman Abdul Khan said the marketing strategies adopted last year would continue to be tweaked and improved.

In 2014, the FSC managed to rake in $191.67million from the sale of 226,858 tonnes of raw sugar.

Last year, the miller earned $205.534m from the sale of 222,800 tonnes of sugar.

“We made more from the sale of less sugar and that was achieved through targeted and prudent marketing strategies,” Mr Khan said.

“And we are taking this approach again in 2016. We are going to be a lot more aggressive especially in the first half of the year.

“In terms of marketing, we have already sold some of this season’s sugar last year and the driver for us is to ensure that we get the best possible price so that our farmers benefit and the industry and economy benefits.”

Mr Khan said discussions would be held with interested buyers from Korea later this month.

“They had initially planned on buying 20,000 tonnes but have so far only taken 7000.

“However, they have expressed an interest in developing a long term business relationship with us for the next five years.

“While we are excited at the prospect of this new market, we will need to ensure we get premium price and we will also need some sort of guarantee that they will buy the sugar during the five-year term they have requested.”

The FSC took over the marketing of sugar from the Fiji Sugar Marketing Company Ltd after the body was dismantled in 2009.