We are firmly committed to supporting the revitalization and sustainability of the sugar industry, ready to confront the challenges it confronts head-on, said acting Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism and Civil Aviation, Viliame Gavoka. He emphasized this sentiment during the opening of the Sugar Industry Workshop, reported Fiji Village.
Gavoka underscored that from the highest echelons of leadership to grassroots initiatives, there exists a unified determination to witness the resurgence of the sugar industry. He acknowledged the industry’s resilience in the face of challenges, including complexities surrounding land lease renewals and the impact of the expiration of EU preferential pricing, which have adversely affected cane farmers’ livelihoods.
The coalition government, Gavoka stated, comprehends the significance of providing concrete support to farmers who work tirelessly to cultivate sugarcane fields. He highlighted initiatives outlined by the Minister, such as record-breaking cane payments and innovative programs aimed at enhancing production, as just the initial steps in uplifting and empowering those integral to the industry.
In parallel, Minister for Agriculture, Vatimi Rayalu, disclosed that the Ministry of Agriculture and Waterways is collaborating with the Ministry of Multi-Ethnic Affairs and the Sugar Industry to aid farmers in the sugar sector in fostering an enabling environment for economic opportunities, food security, and sustainability.
Rayalu detailed the collaborative efforts, including site visits to cane-growing farmers to identify potential areas for development and the formulation of farm plans for crop and livestock production in sugarcane-growing regions. He emphasized the integration of sugarcane farmers into existing farm assistance programs and the implementation of pilot agriculture production on selected farms, leveraging new technologies and expertise from the Sugar Research Institute of Fiji for soil improvement and crop diversification.
