Consultations to Begin on Sugar Policy Development
The process to develop the National Sugar Industry policy and Strategies in several areas will begin next week starting in the Northern Division.
The Ministry of Sugar together with the Fiji Sugar Corporation, Sugar Cane Growers Council, Sugar Research Institute of Fiji, Sugar Cane Growers Fund, South Pacific Fertilisers Ltd, and Sugar Industry Tribunal will be holding sugarcane growers consultations January 8 to 11.
The purpose of consultation was to seek inputs and suggestions from sugarcane growers on development of the NSIPS in the following areas and any other concerns that growers may have. These include:
Improvement on sugarcane productions and yield
Infrastructure development – milling, harvesting, and transportation
Innovation through research and development
Marketing and generating revenues
Institutional structure, legislations review and governance and
Addressing cross cutting issues – capacity development, gender, environmental problems.
The consultation will be held in all the eight sectors in the Labasa mill area beginning with:
Tuesday, January 8 - 10 am, Waiqele, Waiqele Sector office; 2 pm – Wailevu, Wailevu Ganesh Temple
Wednesday, January 9 - 10 am, Wainikoro/ Daku, Wainikoro Sector Office; 2 pm, Bucaisau, Vunika Temple
Thursday, January 10 - 10 am, Natua/Bulivou, Seaqaqa Community Hall; 2 pm, Solove, Solove Primary School
Friday, January 11, 10 am, Vunimoli, Anils Residence – Vunimoli; 2 pm, Labasa, Dreketilailai Temple.
Permanent Secretary for Sugar Yogesh Karan has encouraged all sugarcane growers and any other institution or persons to attend these consultations and provide inputs and suggestions to the policies and strategies to achieve a sustainable sugar industry.