Sugarcane growers in the North are still waiting for confirmation on when the special committee on the sugar industry will hold consultations in Labasa and Seaqaqa.
Sugar Cane Growers Council chief executive officer Vimal Dutt said no date had been confirmed for the committee’s visit to the Northern Division, although growers there should be given the same opportunity to share their concerns.
Mr Dutt said the committee had already met growers in Rakiraki, Ba, Lautoka and Sigatoka, where farmers raised issues affecting the industry, including harvesting, rising production costs, grower governance and representation.
He said time constraints during the consultation sessions may have prevented some growers from raising all of their concerns.
“There are many other issues the growers may not have had the chance to speak out about because of some time constraints in terms of each session.”
Mr Dutt said the consultations allowed the committee to gain a better understanding of the challenges facing growers and expressed hope that northern farmers would soon have the same opportunity to present their views and recommendations on the future of Fiji’s sugar industry.
