‘Return idle lands’

CANE farmers have been advised that it would be in their best interest to return idle lands to the iTaukei Lands Trust Board to avoid paying high annual premium rates.

ITLTB northern manager Buinimasi Bese said this during a sugar consultation with Minister for Sugar Charan Jeath Singh and his team in Macuata last week.

His comment follows concerns raised by farmers that the lease renewal premium was too high with some paying between $20,000 and $30,000.

Qeledamu farmer Rajesh Chandra said the premium was more than what farmers received from the Fiji Sugar Corporation as income.

He said the premium to renew their leases was very expensive.

Wainikoro farmer Rajendra Prasad said some cane farming leases would start expiring next year.

“What will happen then? The premium to renew leases is very expensive and we can’t afford because we don’t earn much from the farm,” he said.

“Where else will we go if our leases expire and we can’t pay the high premium? I hope Government can do something about it to help the farmers.”

Mr Bese, in his response, said upon inspection of farms, they had seen that most areas of the leased land remained idle.

“For example, if a farmer has 40 acres in his farm, he only uses 10 acres while the rest is not used and this is why the premium is high because it covers the 40 acres not the 10 acres only,” he said.

“If you want, you can always contact us and you could return the remaining unused land to TLTB and this will reduce your premium.”

Mr Bese said they had also made arrangements with farmers on instalment payment of premiums.