REVIVING Fiji’s sugar industry will require diversification and the reinstatement of farms between Ra and Sigatoka, says Deputy Opposition Leader Parveen Kumar.
Speaking in Parliament yesterday, Mr Kumar said a diversified sugar industry could include biomass electricity generation, sustainable machinery, bagasse repurposing and molasses production.
“A commercial operation with multiple revenue streams, including biomass electricity generation, sustainable machinery, bagasse repurposing, and high-quality molasses for a distillery,” he said.
Mr Kumar called for the existing Parliamentary Special Committee on Sugar Industry to be strengthened into a permanent bipartisan institution to address challenges facing the sector.
He said significant public funding was being invested into sugar, but the industry continued to face major issues.
“The budget allocates $87.9million in operating grants to the Fiji Sugar Corporation, $41.6million to the Sugar Stabilisation Fund and $15million for fertiliser subsidies.
“These are substantial investments yet the industry faces major challenges.”
He said farmers needed certainty and confidence, with productivity, land tenure issues and competitiveness remaining key concerns.
“Farmers are asking not just for guaranteed minimum payments, but also for Government to give them certainty and confidence.
“It is also important that we do not continue to racialise sugar as a sector for Indo-Fijians.
“We are given a figure of around 20,000 farmers and workers across the industry, and this includes a substantial number of iTaukei at all levels.”
Mr Kumar said Ra had traditionally been one of Fiji’s most productive sugar areas and called for a renewed focus on solutions.
“Let’s move on and look at solutions.”
