Opposition MP Viam Pillay has called on cane farmers to end the current harvesting boycott, saying the protest is hurting farming families and threatening the long-term future of Fiji’s sugar industry.
In a statement issued today, Pillay said July 1 marked the start of the crushing season, yet sugar mills remained idle as farmers withheld cane deliveries.
“It is July 1st. The mills are supposed to be running, but the gates are quiet. This nonsense needs to stop. This boycott is not helping one single farming family,” he said.
Pillay acknowledged that farmers wanted a cane payment of $110 per tonne but urged them to take a realistic approach, noting that the reduction in fuel prices announced today would improve returns for growers this season.
“I want $110 a tonne for my cane just like every other farmer. I know the struggle. But we have to be realistic. We fought hard to get where we are today. With fuel prices coming down this morning, we have a real bonus that makes this season work,” he said.
The Opposition MP said farmers needed to think beyond the current dispute and focus on harvesting this year’s crop so land could be prepared for the next planting season.
He criticised both the management of the Fiji Sugar Corporation and the Government, saying years of incompetence and delays had contributed to the industry’s problems. However, he argued that the ongoing boycott was not the solution.
“The National Farmers Union is burning down our future for a protest. FSC must also sort out their internal issues immediately so farmers are not punished for management failures,” he said.
Pillay also reminded growers that they were bound by the Master Award to deliver cane to the mills and encouraged them to sign their Memorandum of Gang Agreements (MOGAs), mobilise harvesting gangs and resume harvesting.
