Top farmers to Visit India: Karan
‘We have to look at new ways’
WAISEA NASOKIA BA
The Ministry of Sugar is proposing an annual award for the top Sugar cane farmers to visit India to see how sugarcane cultivation is done. Permanent secretary for Sugar Yogesh Karan made this comment during the Ministry of Sugar public consultation with the farmers and sugarcane stakeholders at the Rarawai Mill.
Mr Karan said the reason for the meeting was because of the complaints being raised to the office of the Prime Minister and the Minister for Sugar.
“There are numerous issues, not just only with Fiji Sugar Corporation (FSC) but with the farmers, with other stakeholders as well,”he said. “Farms are not well managed; people don’t keep the farms well. We have to look at the new ways.
“In fact, this year we want to create an award where the top farmers are to be taken to India to show how farming is being done there. Unless
and until we increase the farm productivity, we cannot achieve,” said Mr Karan.
Respect farmers, FSC told
He added when mechanisms are made to assist farmers fail, then calls start coming to his office.
“The first point of issue raised to any of the stakeholders should be fixed.
“This industry recently runs from one stick of cane and we want that to multiply, that’s a basic fact.”
Complaints
“I’ve heard complaints from farmers, truck drivers who have been sworn at, they have been mistreated, people were being rude to them, their calls have not been taken, their calls have not been returned and when they get very frustrated then they start calling me,” Mr Karan said.
Tonnage
He said the Ministry expects to increase the tonnage this year close to two million tonnes.
“It is going up which is good to know but to break even this 2.2 million tonnes, is a huge challenge. If we don’t achieve that, we will continue making a loss in the industry and then Government pulls the plug out.
“We have to reflect back, we have to accept this very honestly that things have not happened the way that they should have been and this is the time now, if you start pointing fingers at each other it’s just not going to happen, we have put in lots of money in the industry.”