FSC in Talks Over Penang Mill Site
The Fiji Sugar Corporation is looking at a few options for the area where the Penang Mill now stands.
No hint on what would be built there or what plans are in place have been revealed.
FSC chief executive officer Graham Clark said the present mill, which was shut down following Tropical Cyclone Winston in 2016, was being taken down by a Korean company. All machinery and mill parts that were still usable have been taken out and given to the Rarawai, Lautoka and Labasa Mills as spare parts.
“The opportunities of what could be constructed there on the flat surface once the whole structure is removed are enormous,” Mr Clark said.
FSC, he said, was presently talking to two companies on what could be built there.
FSC also revealed that they were looking at two railway companies to fix the rail system around the cane growing areas.
Mr Clark said the blueprint for the railway system had been done and talks were ongoing with one of the companies being India Railway. Meanwhile, sugarcane farmers from throughout the Western Division have expressed support towards the Government and FSC for the grants that have helped them get back on their feet.
There was also a call from a farmer to those who were still negative about the industry to have a change of mindset.
More than 150 farmers gathered at Drasa in Lautoka yesterday for a ’talanoa’ session with Fiji Sugar Corporation’s chairman Vishnu Mohan, Mr Clark, FSC chief operating officer Navin Chandra and Sugar Cane Growers Council chief executive officer Sundresh Chetty. Mr Clark said the relationship between farmers and FSC was growing and should continue to flourish. He said the FSC board meeting today should highlight the improvement the industry has made. Mr Mohan said there was a need for FSC staff to be more accessible to the growers.
“FSC is actively looking at improving production and are talking to new growers and landowners for new growing areas.”
Mr Mohan said the area of cultivation dropped from around 72,000 hectares to 38,000 hectares and this has been increased by 2000 hectares to just over 40,000 hectares presently growing cane.
“FSC is now aggressively pursuing joint ventures.”
A recent case was in Nasorowaqa in Bua where some landowners had formed a joint venture with FSC for sugarcane production.
“This is a game changer.”
Talanoa session
Dutt Nath from Dramasi in Tavua said: “We are now seeing a positive change in the industry.”
Mr Nath’s only concern, and which Mr Chandra agreed to was that the Lautoka and Rarawai Mills needed to start on time.
“This year the Rarawai Mill started two weeks after Lautoka and I lost all my cutters to farmers in Lautoka.”
Mr Clark said this year the Rarawai Mill started late because of the flood and repairs to the mill.
Burnt cane concern
Mr Chandra said there was concern over the increasing number of burnt cane.
Jo Cagi of Ellington One said there was a need to change the mindset of cane farmers from negative to positive.
“With the grants being given by Government to us farmers, some still have a negative attitude.” Mr Cagi also requested the FSC to change the timing of carrying out drainage works as it hindered the harvesting of cane.
Mr Clark said they had had discussions with the Minister of Waterways who had taken over this task after the disbandment of the Drainage Board.
He also suggested that manual labour for harvesting be sought through religious organisations especially for crop growing on hilly terrain.
Mr Clark said the Corporation had managed to look at two harvesting machines which could harvest cane on a 20 degrees gradient. Balwant Singh from Dramasi in Tavua said he had noticed an improvement in the customer relationship between the growers and the FSC field officers.
“I would like to thank the Government and FSC for all the assistance given to us cane farmers.”
He said the only concern he had was the ongoing drought and the need to get the sugar cane to the mills quickly.
Kamlesh Sharma of Ba said while talking positively on the change in the sugar industry said there was a need to get sugar production back to the same as which was experienced in 1981 to 82.
Mr Sharma said with the damage to the bridge over the Ba River, FSC should look at re-starting cultivation in some areas in Kavanagasau in Ba which could produce around 250,000 tonnes of cane.
He suggested that there was a need to change the design of the new bridge to be built because it needs to be raised.