Growers Council extends cane replanting season

The cane planting season, which was extended from October 31 to December 15 because of the prolonged drought a few months back, has been further extended to December 31.

This was confirmed by the Sugar Cane Growers Council chief executive officer Sundresh Chetty.

“This is in view of the late rain and eagerness from growers to plant more sugarcane,” Mr Chetty said.

“We have seen that growers are all geared up and have prepared their land for replanting.”

He urged growers to plant maximum cane because the weather was favourable.

The council wants to see that maximum planting is done before the end of this year.

“I urge growers to take maximum advantage of the Government grant that is available for cane planting under the cane development programme and plant as much cane as possible because we have received sufficient rain,” Mr Chetty said.

“We are thankful to Government for all the assistance provided to the cane growers in Fiji in terms of cane planting grant, fertiliser subsidy, weedicide subsidy, funds for upgrade and maintenance of cane access road.”

Mr Chetty added that farmers, who had seed cane should start

I urge growers to take maximum advantage of the Government grant that is available for cane planting under the cane development programme and plant as much cane as possible because we HAVE RECEIVED SUFFICIENT rain. Sundresh Chetty Sugar Cane Growers Council chief EXECUTIVE OFFICER

planting and for those who did not have enough seed, to contact their field staff so arrangements for seed cane could be made for them. “We want to meet the industry target of achieving 2 million tonnes of sugarcane next crushing season. Sugar production went down after the devastation of Cyclone Winston and then the prolonged drought this year,” he said.

Mr Chetty said the responsibility of providing seed cane for the upcoming season, which starts in March, 2018 had been given to the Sugar Research Institute of Fiji.