Warning letters have been issued to cane farmers in Seaqaqa to clear their farms of all unapproved cane varieties by next year.
Reminding cane farmers during a Ministry of Finance-organised cane farmers’ consultation at Solove Primary School yesterday, FSC officer Viliame Volai said some farmers had received warning letters while others would soon receive theirs.
The letters, he said, were issued by the Sugar Tribunal.
“Seaqaqa is infested with the unapproved variety of cane, and you have been given warning letters to remove the cane,” he said.
“Some have been given letters from last year but still haven’t removed it.
“So, from last year, we started issuing warning letters. Our officers are still out there issuing letters. You have until next year to remove the unapproved variety.”
Mr Volai said the offending variety had never contributed to the production of sugar because it contained mainly water.
“It has the weight but not the sugar content with which we want to push up the sugar production,” he said.
“In Australia and other countries, they pay by quality of cane, not weight as we do in Fiji, and this unapproved variety weights because of the water but not the quality.
“The farmers were given three years to get rid of this variety and the third year is next year.”
Sugar Ministry grants officer Rusiate Veikoso said when Minister Charan Jeath Singh visited the mill in Labasa this year, he saw some unapproved variety and told FSC officials not to dump the cane in the mill yard.
“Government is doing its role and supporting the sugar industry and farmers should also play their role and plant more cane with good sugar quality so we can boost production,” Mr Veikoso said.
