FORMER permanent secretary in the 2006 interim government, Professor Richard Beyer believes Fiji’s sugar industry has the potential to cater to niche markets instead of focussing on large-scale supply only.
In an interview with this newspaper, he said one of these areas was producing sugar for the barista market.
Prof Beyer said he had submitted a paper intended for Cabinet in 2007, in which he outlined prospects for the sugar industry.
“I think it’s worth taking a really good, careful look at the market and where we can find our little niche,” Prof Beyer said.
He said the barista market was huge throughout the world as there was a need for quality refined sugar.
“I don’t have a bleak attitude about the future of sugar in Fiji,” he said.
“Some people seem to be very negative about the industry, well, I’m not necessarily so negative.
“I think it’s worth taking a really good, careful look at the market and where we can find our little niche.
“The barista market is huge right now throughout the world and they need sugar.
“They don’t need a Fiji sugar sachet which is paper, and you can’t get the sugar out because it’s wet. They don’t need that.
“They need something which is really special. So, I think those things are worth looking at.”
Prof Beyer said it was about time there’s an open discussion on opportunities for sugar “rather than just shrugging your shoulders and saying, well, the opportunities are to increase yield or start sugar payments rather than cane payments and things like that”.
“These are old arguments that have been going on for over 20 years and they get us nowhere.
“In my view, it’s time for senior management to have a serious look at the market.”
He said many nations around the world, while addressing NCDs, were putting a tax on sugar.
“They are doing that to reduce sugar consumption, while addressing diabetes and obesity.
“A lot of nations and states have put a tax on sugar, just simply to increase the price to make it less attractive.
“So, we should be looking at producing something better for those markets.”
