'Mill operating below capacity'

NATIONAL Farmers Union general secretary Mahendra Chaudhry has called out the inefficient running of the Lautoka Sugar Mill.

In a statement, Mr Chaudhry said the troubled mill had been crushing at an alarming TCTS rate of 15.30, taking five tonnes more cane to produce a tonne of sugar, with massive losses to growers and the industry.

He said the mill had been operating well below capacity.

“In the last six weeks, it crushed only 93,300 tonnes of cane, making 6087 tonnes of sugar,” Mr Chaudhry said.

“For the week ended July 14, it crushed 25,900 tonnes against a target of 36,600 tonnes — 10,700 tonnes short of the projected crush.

“Mill stoppages during the week totalled 33 hours due to mechanical and electrical failures and 16 hours because of rain.”

Mr Chaudhry said milling inefficiency was causing huge losses to the farmers and the industry.

“The optimistic statements about mill performance by Sugar Minister Charan Jeath Singh are clearly a bluff, intended to take credit for himself by misinforming the people.”

While opening the new crushing season in Lautoka earlier this year, Mr Singh said more than $18million was invested in machinery over the last two years, with the Lautoka mill receiving a large portion of the funds.

He said the mill would continue to operate as FSC’s hub of operations.

“The Lautoka sugar mill continues to serve as a cornerstone of the Fiji Sugar Corporation’s operations,” Mr Singh had said.

During the 2024 crushing season, it processed 368,260 tonnes of sugarcane, producing 31,403 tonnes of sugar and 18,403 tonnes of molasses.

“In the past two years, FSC has invested over $18m in machinery upgrades and preventative maintenance across all mills, with a significant portion directed to Lautoka.”