National Farmers Union general secretary Mahendra Chaudhry has dismissed calls by People’s Alliance Party president Ratu Joe Dimuri to close sugar mills on Viti Levu and shift the industry to Vanua Levu, describing the proposal as politically insensitive and harmful to the country’s sugar sector.
Mr Chaudhry said Fiji’s struggling sugar industry needed rational decision-making and an inclusive dialogue involving all stakeholders, rather than what he described as “politically insensitive comments.”
“It is time for some rational decision making regarding the sugar industry and this can only be achieved through an all-inclusive stakeholders dialogue. Not through politically insensitive comments,” he said.
He argued that cane growers, who hold a 70 per cent stake in the industry, had been sidelined since the Bainimarama government dismantled key industry institutions in 2009.
“Since then, the industry has been run by the Sugar Ministry and FSC.”
Mr Chaudhry also criticised the Coalition Government for failing to fulfil its promise to hold Sugar Cane Growers Council elections and questioned the effectiveness of the bipartisan Parliamentary Select Committee on Sugar.
“Not a single meeting of the committee was held until 3 July this year, and only after the National Farmers Union wrote to the Prime Minister advising him to summon the committee to intervene in the 2026 harvest dispute over cane prices.”
He said the Government could not expect the industry to recover without listening to growers and taking meaningful action.
“Government cannot expect an ailing industry to right itself unless it is prepared to listen and take action.”
Responding directly to Mr Dimuri’s proposal, Mr Chaudhry described the suggestion as “irrational and irresponsible” and warned it would have serious consequences for the country’s economy.
“Such reckless and regionally biased comments from its President Joe Dimuri must be denounced.”
He questioned whether Mr Dimuri had considered the impact on the approximately 10,000 active cane farmers, around 75 per cent of whom are based in the Western Division.
“Has he considered the devastating socio-economic consequences of such a move on the 150,000 people directly or indirectly dependent on the industry for their livelihood? And on Fiji’s rural economy?”
Mr Chaudhry also criticised the lack of progress on agricultural diversification, saying it had become little more than a political slogan.
“There is no real plan, no markets, no infrastructure, and no serious investment to turn those lands into productive alternatives. Empty words will not feed the more than 200,000 people who still rely on the sugar industry.”
He maintained that cane growers were not responsible for the industry’s decline.
“Cane growers are not the problem. The miller is. Growers continue to cultivate cane even though it is no longer financially viable for them to do so.”
