Singh sets cane target

Asmita does school proud

FORMER Natabua High School deputy head girl Asmita Ram scored one of the highest marks in the Fiji Year 13 Certificate Examination.

School principal Virendra Sharma said Asmita scored 380 out of 400 in the national exam.

He said the 18-year-old was an all-rounder who excelled in both sports and academia.

“In Asmita’s final year at Natabua High School, she was appointed as one of the school’s deputy head girls,” he said.

“She was involved in several activities throughout the year. She was part of the long-distance team for

GOVERNMENT has thrown down the gauntlet to cane growers to increase production to 2.5 million tonnes in the next three years.

Sugar Minister Charan Jeath Singh said Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has given him “full authority to bring about the necessary changes in the sugar industry, with the ultimate aim to bring sugar production in the country to 2.5 million by 2026”.

“The Prime Minister has told me this is your baby,” he told farmers at a consultation in Nadi on Sunday. Do whatever you want to do, sign off and bring the issue to Cabinet, we will approve it there.

“That’s the advantage the industry has now.”

He said cane production last year was 1.6 million tonnes.

“The forecast we have for this year is 1.8 million with the support and assistance that we will give you. Next year we want to bring it up to two million. In my four-year term, I want an output of 2.5 million tonnes of cane in Fiji. the Lautoka Zone Athletics and the company commander for Foxtrot Company in the Cadets Parade.

“Asmita also participated in the National Biology Battle Competition in which her team won the national title for the Year 13 Biology Battle Competition.

“Despite all these commitments, Asmita managed to perform extremely well in her examination and the school is proud of this young woman’s achievements.” Mr Sharma said their former student had since been accepted into Baylor University in Waco, Texas, America.

“She is majoring in Neuroscience on a pre-medical track and she plans to add more business and finance classes later on in her studies.”

Speaking from the US, Asmita said she was looking forward to furthering her academic achievements in her new home.

“It was always my ambition to complete my tertiary education in the USA so to say that I am extremely content with where I am is putting it lightly,” she said.

“One thing I would like to emphasise on though is that it really helped me to complete Year 13 in Fiji because the syllabus and curriculum are really transferrable and helpful over here at the college level as it does give you a head start.

“Finally, I would like to say is to enjoy what you do.

“I cannot stress this enough.”