Opposition MP Viam Pillay says Fiji’s cane farmers are not seeking handouts from government but are instead demanding fair returns for their labour as the 2026 crushing season approaches amid rising costs and uncertainty.
Pillay, himself a lifelong farmer, said growers across the sugar belt were facing mounting pressure from high fuel prices and increasing operational costs, leaving many uncertain whether they could afford to harvest this year’s crop.
From Labasa and Seaqaqa in the north to Rakiraki, Tavua, Ba, Lautoka and Sigatoka in the west, he said farmers were approaching the season with anxiety rather than optimism.
“Farmers are not looking for handouts; we are looking for a fair return on our sweat,” Pillay said.
“Today, our pride is being buried by a broken system that is blind to the realities of 2026.”
Pillay said the current delivery payment of $47 per tonne was insufficient to sustain cane farming operations, arguing that the actual cost of production had risen significantly.
“The math is simple and it is devastating. The current delivery payment of $47 per tonne is not enough to keep us in business.”
“With diesel prices at $4.58 per litre, our costs are running between $52 and $60 per tonne. We are being asked to sign up for guaranteed financial loss.”
He said farmers and labourers wanted to work but were being forced into a position where harvesting cane could leave them worse off financially.
Pillay also criticised what he described as a lack of attention to the realities faced by growers, saying discussions about the industry had become dominated by politics rather than the day-to-day struggles of farmers.
“For weeks now I have been advocating for my fellow farmers,” he said.
“We are not seeing the media go into the cane farming community to talk to the farmers or to look at the real costs.”
With the National Budget only days away, Pillay called on Government, the Fiji Sugar Corporation and the Fiji Competition and Consumer Commission to introduce urgent measures to support the industry.
Among the measures he proposed were fuel rebates for cane lorry operators and harvesting contractors, standardised mechanical harvesting rates and revised cane pricing.
He also renewed calls for the guaranteed minimum cane price of $85 per tonne to be honoured and for movement toward the $110 per tonne price promised after the 2022 General Election.
Pillay further called for compensation for farmers affected by the estimated 80,000 tonnes of cane left unharvested during the 2025 season.
“We do not need any more two-faced approaches or political posturing. We need a price that respects the labour of our people.”
“The Government and the FSC have the power to stop this crisis today. It is time they choose the farmers over the politics.”
Pillay warned that without immediate intervention, more growers could leave the industry, placing further strain on a sector that has long been a pillar of Fiji’s economy.
