Many indicators in Fiji’s sugar industry remain negative, with declining productivity, ageing farmers and outdated mills continuing to challenge the sector, but Sugar Minister Tomasi Tunabuna says the industry can still recover and should not be labelled as dying.
“Productivity has declined, and many indicators are negative, but that does not mean the sugar industry cannot recover,” he said.
He said despite ongoing challenges, the sugar industry continued to play an important role in employment, local production, and foreign exchange earnings.
“We can look at the industry from many angles. It still creates employment, produces local sugar, and earns foreign exchange.”
He said some of the sector’s biggest challenges included an ageing farming population and deteriorating mill infrastructure.
“Our mills are more than 120 years old, and we are only producing raw sugar, while sugar industries elsewhere produce many by-products.”
He said it would be unfair to describe the industry as dying, adding that the Government remained committed to its future.
“It would be unfair to call it a dying industry,” he said.
“I have said this many times, sugar is here to stay. We simply need to improve efficiency, both at the farm level and in the mills.”
He said the Government had already signed an agreement for a European Union-funded feasibility study aimed at identifying long-term solutions for the sector. “We are undertaking a full feasibility study funded by the European Union, which will begin soon.”
