SUGARCANE growers in Ba, Tavua and Rakiraki are calling on industry stakeholders and the Government to inform them of when they can expect assistance to rebuild homes and farms.
Girish Kumar, president of the Rarawai Penang Cane Producers Association, the organisation representing affected farmers, said many were frustrated and angry.
“The news that rebuilding of homes will now come from the National Disaster Management Office has not gone down well with our members.
“Where do we fall under the NDMO’s priority list and how does the industry expect farmers to start replanting or preparing for the 2016 crushing season when they are living in tents or temporary shelters with leaking roofs?
“We hear on the radio and read in newspapers of vegetable and dairy farmers being assisted, what about the sugar industry?
“We are not being unreasonable, we simply want to know what is going to happen, somebody needs to speak up and tell us,” Mr Kumar said.
Then acting Sugar Ministry permanent secretary Viliame Gucake had revealed earlier this week that about 4000 farmers whose homes had been destroyed by Severe TC Winston would be assisted by NDMO and not the sugarcane industry as previously reported.
Fiji Sugar Corporation executive chairman Abdul Khan said the industry’s immediate focus was on ensuring basic necessities such as food and water were addressed before moving on to cane rehabilitation programs.
