Prime Minister and Sugar Minister Voreqe Bainimarama says his Government’s equal opportunity policies have resulted in 2147 females being registered as canegrowers with the Sugar Industry Tribunal.
During debate on the Sugar Industry Tribunal 2011-2015 Annual Reports in Parliament recently, he said the sugar body regularly updated the growers register with details of growers’ information.
“While it is true that the sugar industry is male-dominated, our policies are non-discriminatory but provides equal opportunities to both genders,” the PM said.
“With equal treatment, we have noted an increase in interest from females in sugarcane farming.
“Through the Ministry of Sugar Industry’s small grant scheme, a total of 50 females have received assistance while 33 individual females and 12 females jointly with their spouses have been provided with grants under the new farmers assistance program to start cane farming.
“We now have a total of 2147 female and 14,596 growers registered at the tribunal today.”
