PRIME Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says Fiji’s sugar industry requires a fundamental transformation, with large-scale mechanised farming and modernised production systems needed to reverse declining output and secure the sector’s future.
Speaking after a tour of the sugar belt, Mr Rabuka said harvesting was progressing well and mills were operating, but warned that current production levels remained below what Fiji needed to meet domestic demand and export commitments.
Mr Rabuka said Fiji needed increased production from both farmers and mills to supply the local market and maintain its obligations to major export partners, including the European Union.
“Fiji needs more output from the farmers and from the mills to be able to satisfy our local market, as well as our international obligations with the markets of the European Union that is buying most of our exported sugar.”
Looking beyond the current season, he said long-term reform must focus on mechanisation. “The real solution should be large-scale farms, mechanised cultivation, and mechanised harvesting.”
He acknowledged challenges posed by Fiji’s land tenure system and expiring Agricultural Landlord and Tenant Act (ALTA) leases, saying future solutions would require cooperation between Government, iTaukei Land Trust Board and the sugar industry.
Mr Rabuka also raised concerns over ageing mill infrastructure, saying years of underinvestment had affected efficiency. “Some of those machines are just out of date. Nobody else is manufacturing those, so that we can get the parts.” Despite the challenges, he said modernisation remained achievable.
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