Sugarcane growers are waiting on the fourth cane payment due this month as they scramble to ready farms for the 2026 crushing season, warning that rising fuel costs and delayed subsidies could make harvesting uneconomic for many smallholders. Lautoka Cane Producers Association chairman Bala Dass said growers were increasingly anxious after another recent fuel price rise pushed harvesting costs higher.
“We all know about the guaranteed price of $85 and the leftover amount that is to be paid to the growers in the fourth cane payment,” Dass said, but added the true test will be whether promised subsidies materialise. “With the current price most growers will have none or very little profit when the final cane payment comes out. That is something that Government should keep in mind because growers are really concerned — they might not be able to harvest their cane next season.” He also reiterated that the $3 increase in the manual labour subsidy, which was pledged earlier, has yet to be paid to workers.
Growers have told association leaders they are weighing several unknowns as they plan for 2026: the timing and size of the fourth payment, whether the manual labour subsidy will be added to their returns, and whether they will be compensated for stand‑over cane — plots left unharvested this season. Dass said there had been no word on compensation for that unharvested cane, leaving growers reluctant to invest in planting and input costs until the position is clarified.
Former Fiji Sugar Corporation (FSC) board member Arvind Singh said farmers were “panicking” over the uncertainty. “We welcome Government saying that a top‑up has been set aside for growers, but what is FSC and the Council doing?” Singh asked, calling for clarity on crop rates and a review of payments given the upward pressure from fuel costs. “We don’t know what the rates will be, especially with the fuel prices increasing. Will they be increased too?”
In Parliament this week, Sugar Industry Minister Tomasi Tunabuna said 51 per cent of the 2025 crop had been harvested by mechanical harvesters and assured MPs that government assistance would continue as growers prepare for the next season. Tunabuna urged all stakeholders — growers’ organisations, FSC and the Sugar Cane Growers Council — to collaborate to manage rising costs and sustain the industry.
The current tensions come against a backdrop of government interventions in recent months, when relief packages were rolled out to farmers affected by pre‑season burnt cane and financial assistance was provided after the Rarawai mill fire redirected cane to Lautoka. Those measures temporarily eased cashflow pressures, but growers say predictable, timely payments and clear policy on subsidies and stand‑over cane compensation are needed to make planting and harvesting decisions for 2026.
With the fourth payment imminent, growers and industry representatives are calling for firm timelines and transparent calculations from the FSC, the Council and the Ministry of Sugar. Without clearer signals on the pending payment, the promised labour subsidy and rates that reflect higher input costs, many farmers say they will reconsider whether to harvest or plant at scale next season.