Cane farmers from various sectors in Labasa request to defer the start of crush at the Labasa Mill

The National Farmers Union has written to the Minister for Sugar to inform him that cane farmers from various sectors in Labasa have resolved in the Annual General Meeting of the National Farmers Union to request the Minister to defer the start of crush at the Labasa Mill from 17th May to 19th June 2023, or thereabouts.

National Secretary Mahendra Chaudhry says some of the reasons for the request are that the pre-harvest cane payment of $6.78 per tonne, due this month, remains outstanding.

Chaudhry says farmers need the money for completing repairs and maintenance of their tractors, trucks and other harvest- related equipment and they also need more time to engage labour, and make advance payments to cane cutters.

He says shortage of cane cutters for manual harvesting has become an acute problem now that many have joined or are waiting to join the better paying Pacific Labour Mobility Schemes.

Chaudhry adds that cane access roads are in shocking condition and in most sectors, maintenance work has not even started because of the late release of funds.

He further says the Memorandum of Gang Agreement has not been fully distributed as yet to enable cane harvesting gangs to meet to prepare.

Chaudhry says the readiness of the mills is uncertain because they believe the pre-crush trials have not been conducted as yet.

Chaudhry says he has made extensive enquiries of the situation in the Ba and Lautoka Mill Areas and has been advised by NFU members there that similar conditions exist in the Western cane belt.

We have sent questions to Minister for Sugar, Charan Jeath Singh.