MISCOMMUNICATION between a sardar (supervisor) and a sugarcane farm owner has led to the burning of more than 100 tonnes of cane.
In an interview at Drasa in Lautoka, Rita Roy, whose mother owns the farm, claimed the sardar had told her mother to burn their cane crop.
According to Ms Roy, the sugar cane was set alight last Wednesday.
“The sardar had asked my mother Prabha Wati to burn the cane and the following day they would come and harvest it,” Ms Roy said.
“My mother asked my husband to get some more people to help him burn the cane and we asked our neighbour too because he would help us when the cane is on fire.
“So, they all came but when the cane was on fire, he called again telling her not to burn it.”
Ms Roy said the sardar could not come to their farm because it started to rain this week.
She claimed their property almost got burnt last year because of a similar incident by the sardar.
“Many times we’ve told him to harvest the farm crop because it is dangerous for the house and he never came.
“I told my mother that we will take another sardar and not this one.”
In response, the sardar said he had informed them not to burn the cane last Wednesday morning.
He said they would not be able to cut the sugar cane because of the current rainy season.
