Minister for Sugar Industry Tomasi Tunabuna has called on sugar stakeholders to be honest about the hurdles they face as an industry.
He told those present at the Sugar Cane Growers Fund office in Lautoka last week that the industry continues to navigate fluctuating global prices, rising production costs, labour shortages, and the urgent need to modernise farming practices to remain competitive.
“Yet, despite these challenges, our farmers have shown extraordinary resilience,” Mr Tunabuna said.
“At a critical juncture in our industry’s history, the fire incident at the Rarawai mill forced operations to shut down for three months.
“This placed immense pressure on the entire sector — on harvesting schedules, on logistics, and most importantly, on our growers’ livelihoods.”
He said through this uncertainty and disruption, farmers still endured.
“They continued to tend their fields, manage their households, and maintain hope in the industry. That resilience deserves our deepest respect and our strongest support.”
