Cane lorry drivers will not be able to operate their vehicles under the current rates.
Fiji Cane Lorries Rarawai Association president Atish Kumar says drivers have not been given any chance to recover from May’s fuel increase before another hike was announced this week.
“It is increase after increase and if we are not given any kind of relief, we won’t be able to deliver all of the cane to the mill,” said Mr Kumar.
“We will keep thinking about the cost of fuel.”
He said a subsidy on fuel for cane lorry drivers should be considered.
“The main problem is the fuel cost because it is affecting all of the other costs that we have to pay like labour and the delivery.
“Before the fuel increased, these two cost was already increasing.
“If government subsidise our fuel that should bring some of the costs down.”
He said with the current fuel rates, farmers were paying more than $500 per truck.
“If you fill a Toyota 6000 truck to full tank of diesel it will cost you more than $500 and a Hino truck costs more than $700 to fill 200litres of fuel.
“That means that a farmer will be spending between $600 every week or every two weeks on fuel.
“We won’t be able to keep any money.”
