Some farmers will not harvest a single stick of cane for the Fiji Sugar Corporation and Government, says Rarawai sector farmer Jasveer Lal.
In an interview at a National Farmers Union meeting in Tavua, Mr Lal said farmers were calling for $110 per tonne in the cane price.
“We won’t give a single stick to FSC and to the Government,” he said.
“We will stick to our words and we want justice.”
Meanwhile, Fiji Cane Lorry Association president and Rarawai farmer Atish Kumar said majority of the farmers who were also lorry drivers were not ready for the harvesting season.
“Most of the meetings I have been attending for farmers’ union, and I have met the drivers there and they are not going to take the cane to the mills,” he said.
“The farmers are also lorry drivers and if they are not agreeing on the cane price, I don’t think the trucks will be parked outside the sugarcane mills.
“Farmers are not ready to harvest because we want the $110 per tonne for the cane price.
“As we all know the cost of living has increased and we farmers are also human beings.”
Mr Singh said the budget allocation of $96.3million, including the guaranteed price of $85 per tonne and forecast price of $57 per tonne in the 2026-2027 National Budget was not fair to farmers.
“I think they (Government) are forgetting the farmers, and I do not know why these people are ignoring the farmers.
“Before they were praising us farmers as the backbone of Fiji.”
Questions sent to Sugar Industry Minister Tomasi Tunabuna yesterday remained unanswered.
