More than 8,000 cane growers that participated in the manual cane harvesting program for the 2023 season have been paid by the Fiji Sugar Corporation Limited (FSC).
FSC chief executive officer Bhan Pratap Singh confirmed this in a statement saying they have disbursed payments to 8,336 cane growers.
Mr Singh said each grower has received $1 per tonne for all manually harvested cane amidst prevailing labour challenges in the industry.
“FSC is dedicated to implementing initiatives that enhance growers’ livelihoods,” Mr Singh said.
“Sugarcane growers have encountered mounting difficulties securing manual labour for harvesting in recent years,” he said.
“The heightened demand for harvesting rates from the limited labour pool has aggravated financial burdens on growers, who also incur additional expenses for labour provisions such as food, accommodation, and utilities.”
Mr Singh also thanked the various stakeholders involved and acknowledged the efforts of the Minister for Multi-Ethnic Affairs and Sugar Industry, Charan Jeath Singh, in securing the grant from the Government.
According to FSC, the total payment of $1.03m is the first instance of this type of assistance being provided to the growers in the sugar industry.
