Labourers would be brought from Bangladesh to address the issue of labour shortage in Fiji.
Sugar Minister Charan Jeath Singh said this in an interview, following a recent sugar consultation in Lautoka.
“The issue is a global one and not only a problem here in Fiji,” he said.
Mr Singh said they were making efforts to mechanise the sugar industry in order to reduce the issue of labour shortage.
“I must also say that we are looking at bringing labourers from Bangladesh and the advantage with that is after they harvest your cane field, the next grower can also use them to harvest came.”
Mr Singh said he was also bringing about 11 labourers from Bangladesh to harvest cane in his farm.
“The good part is that the Immigration Department normally charges a $3000 bond per worker, however, in this instance, where the labourers are coming to work on the farm, this bond will be exempted.”
He said visits to farmers in cane belt areas in the past year had shown positive responses.
“For the last year, I have been moving around the country, meeting with farmers and sharing our vision and the Coalition Government’s vision which they are seeing now.
“Our farmers were neglected before and we are trying to give them all sorts of assistance.”
