Over 8,000 Fijian sugarcane farmers have received a financial boost from the Fiji Sugar Corporation Ltd (FSC) to help offset the rising costs of manual harvesting, reported Fiji Times.
Bhan Singh, the CEO of FSC, stated that each participating grower has received $1 per tonne for all manually harvested sugarcane, marking a tangible effort to support the industry amidst prevailing labour challenges.
“The introduction of the manual harvest program is a strategic response to alleviate the financial strain on growers engaged in manual harvesting, which has become increasingly costly,” explained Singh. He emphasized that the initiative is a proactive measure to counter the escalating expenses associated with manual labour in the cane harvesting process.
The strain on sugarcane farmers has intensified in recent years, with difficulties arising in securing manual labour for harvesting. Singh pointed out that the heightened demand for harvesting rates from a limited labour pool exacerbates financial burdens on growers, who also bear additional costs for labour provisions such as food, accommodation, and utilities.
In specific regions, FSC has extended assistance to sugarcane farmers. In the Lautoka area, 1,924 farmers have received support, with 2,833 in Rarawai, 2,621 in Labasa, and 958 in Rakiraki benefitting from the financial relief provided by the corporation.
