Farmers: Increase FMS updates on weather in standover cane
VANUA Levu farmers claim there could be an increase in standover (unharvested) cane this year compared with last year because of “delay tactics” by Fiji Sugar Corporation workers in Labasa.
Growers who spoke to The Fiji Times on the condition of anonymity claimed that throughout this season, they had to wait for long hours outside the mill to deliver their cane.
They claimed this resulted in trucks being held up.
They further claimed it resulted in many farmers waiting for weeks to load harvested cane and the unfavourable weather also contributed to the delay.
National Farmers Union president Surendra Lal supported the farmers’ claims.
“Farmers wait outside the mill for long hours and those waiting at the farms to load their cane can wait for two to three days, even weeks, before they can secure a truck to load the cane,” he claimed.
Imtiaz Ali, a lorry driver and grower, said throughout the 2022 season, farmers were forced to wait for 12 hours or longer to offload the cane at the mill yard.
“It’s worse than past years because it happens more often now compared with before where we can spend a maximum of half a day and not all day or all night,” he said.
“Almost every week when come to the mill, we are told to wait because there’s not enough supply, which is OK but it’s happening every time.
“Even when there’s enough supply, it’s takes so long for lorry drivers to get into the mill to offload the cane.”
Another farmer, Mohammed Feroz, said this situation resulted in many farmers storing harvested cane on their farms for up to two weeks because of the unavailability of trucks.
“It’s a serious matter and something needs to be done because the end of the season might be next month and it’ll be too late.”
Questions sent to FSC chief executive officer Bhan Singh on the farmers’ claims since last month remained unanswered when this edition went to press last night. The FSC agreed to having a media briefing on these issues, but that has been postponed to next week.
THE Fiji Meteorological Service says a tropical depression that may form to the southwest of Fiji in the first week of December will not affect Fiji.
Senior scientific officer and weather forecaster Iosefo Cauravouvinaka said the TD was expected to form over New Caledonia, according to the models they have at the moment.
“When it comes to the first week of December, the atmosphere will get quite moist,” he said.
“As you know that we are into the tropical cyclone season now, there could be chances of heavy rain.
“I guess, towards the end of the first week of December, there might be a tropical depression according to the model for now.
“There could be a tropical depression towards the south-west of Fiji basically over New Caledonia.
“But for Fiji it would be clear and won’t get effects of it because it would be too far away from Fiji.
“Only the east to northeastely winds might bring in moist air and we could get showers from that.”
Mr Cauravouvinaka is advising Fijians to be prepared for any possible impacts associated with adverse weather patterns.
“Be vigilant and get updated with the latest weather forecast that is issued by the national weather forecasting centre.
“Be prepared since you are already in the cyclone season for any possible impacts that come along with adverse events in terms of heavy rain or tropical cyclone.”
He said a stakeholders meeting would be held on Monday to Wednesday next week in Suva with stakeholders from the Infrastructure Ministry, National Disaster Management Office and social services groups.
“The meeting will be particularly on impact based forecasting.”
In the normal forecast, we usually say ‘occasional rain, but when we move into impact-based forecasting, we’ll say occasional rain and what are the possible impacts of the occasional rain to the lowlying areas.
“So we particularly would want the vulnerability and the exposure of that area in order for us to do an impact based forecast.”