Cabinet has approved a $36,535,652.27 package to top up sugarcane payments, reinforcing the Government’s commitment to the guaranteed cane price of $85.00 per tonne and providing immediate cash support for growers ahead of next year’s crushing season. The Cabinet decision, announced this week, sets the scale and timing of the remaining industry payments for this cycle.
Under the approved package, growers will receive a third cane-payment top-up of $10.07 per tonne on April 20, followed by $6.77 per tonne for the fourth payment on May 30. The final top-up of $5.16 per tonne is scheduled for disbursement in October. The three instalments together amount to $22.00 per tonne in supplementary support across the remaining payments for the season.
The Government said the financial support is aimed at strengthening farmers’ livelihoods and assisting cane growers with preparations for the 2026 crushing season. Officials framed the top-ups as a necessary measure to shore up household incomes for farming communities and to help producers cover input and maintenance costs ahead of harvesting and milling next year.
Taken together, the total top-up allocation — $36.54 million — and the per-tonne rate imply significant coverage for the industry. At $22.00 per tonne in combined top-ups, the approved sum would equate to support for roughly 1.66 million tonnes of cane, based on that per-tonne figure. The Government has not released a breakdown of how the funds will be allocated by province, mill catchment or grower category.
The Cabinet approval represents the latest fiscal intervention by the State to stabilise the sugar sector, a longstanding pillar of Fiji’s rural economy. By reaffirming the guaranteed price of $85.00 per tonne and layering these scheduled top-ups, authorities aim to provide predictability for cane farmers as they plan for the next crushing campaign and manage costs in the coming months.
No further implementation details, including the mechanics of payment distribution or eligibility criteria, were provided in the Cabinet statement. Farmers and industry stakeholders will be watching the April 20 disbursement closely as the first concrete delivery of the approved top-up package.
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