WHILE many farmers have the option to delay harvesting their cane farms, a grieving widow, Naseem Begum, says she is struggling to survive amid rising field fires and a lack of police support.
Ms Begum, a Karavi, Ba resident, is facing her first harvest alone following the death of her husband three months ago.
She claims her crop has been targeted by local youths who have deliberately set cane fields alight.
Despite the setback, Ms Begum began harvesting this week using a mechanical harvester.
She said she was unfamiliar with the financial arrangements previously managed by her late husband, including costs for harvesting and lorry transport, but remains determined to complete the harvest.
Last year, the farm produced 228 tonnes of cane.
This year, despite the fires, she hopes to salvage at least 100 tonnes from the remaining crop near the Kings Highway.
